Dave Krieg's Strike Beard

Jon Kitna's Seahawks Legacy

2012-01-13T15:44:00.003-06:00

With the reports that Jon Kitna is retiring from football, I thought it would be a good time to look back at Kitna's time with the Seahawks over a decade ago. After leaving Seattle, Kitna carved out a nice career mostly as a competent back up with a few memorable stretches as a starter (particularly in Cincinnati). He threw for almost 30,000 yards and 169 touchdowns over his 15-year career, which is pretty damn good for an undrafted free agent from Central Washington University... but for Twelves, Kitna's career has a really specific flavor and meaning, which is what I want to talk about today.

I actually saw Kitna play once in college. It was the one and only game I went to while I was a student at Western Washington, and I remember two things about it: I went with a girl I was obsessed with (who I've talked about in this space before), and Kitna absolutely TORCHED our Vikings. I never gave the guy another thought until he stuck on the Seahawks' roster in 1997.

Kitna got a start in the penultimate game of the 1997 season, and he rallied the Seahawks to a dramatic 22-21 win over Oakland after falling behind 21-3 by halftime (still the 2nd-biggest comeback win in team history). In 1998, Kitna took over at QB for the final five games (he was the QB for the infamous "Phantom Touchdown" game v the Jets), and led the Hawks to three wins. Warren Moon was allowed to leave for Kansas City, and Mike Holmgren installed Kitna as the starter for the 1999 season.

As I've talked about before, for the first 10 weeks of the 1999 season, it really looked like Kitna was going to follow in the footsteps of Jim Zorn and Dave Krieg: lightly regarded college QBs who grew into competent/damn-near-great/sometimes-even-Pro Bowl NFL signal callers in Seattle. The Seahawks were 8-2, and Kitna was playing excellent football. The team was on the verge of giving him a HUGE long-term contract (media reports even began circulating about it), and I was on the verge of investing $75 in a Kitna Seahawks jersey.

Then the big, mean, nasty Tampa Bay Buccaneers came to town. They didn't just beat the Seahawks on the scoreboard- They BRUTALIZED us. Kitna would throw five interceptions, and the Bucs gave the rest of our opponents the blueprint for beating us: Blitz Kitna, Blitz Kitna, and Blitz Kitna. Seattle would lose 5 of their last 6 games (6 of 7 if you include the Wild Card loss at home to Miami), and Kitna's hold on the starting job became much more tenuous.

Kitna probably lost his chance to remain Seattle's long-term starter on Kickoff Weekend 2000 with a four-interception disaster in a shutout loss at Miami. He'd bounce back a bit after that, but Holmgren finally benched him for Brock Huard in Mid-October- Seattle had gone 3-9 in Kitna's last 12 starts at that point. Huard was so awful that Kitna quickly returned to the starting line-up, but Holmgren had seen enough- after the 2000 season ended, he let Kitna walk and traded for Matt Hasselbeck.

I happened to be there at Husky Stadium for Kitna's last great moment in a Seahawks uniform: That crazy 2000 win over Jon Gruden's mighty Oakland Raiders. In miserable conditions Kitna led the Seahawks to a dramatic upset win with a touchdown drive in the final minutes, and for a fleeting moment we could ignore his limitations and just focus on what endeared him to to us Twelves: His enthusiasm, his toughness, and his (ugh, I hate this term) moxie... but he was never going to lead us where we wanted to go, so we parted ways.

If there are lessons to be learned from Kitna's time in Seattle, I'd say they're as follows:

1) Along with a lot of Twelves, I wanted Kitna to be "The Next Dave Krieg" so badly that it blinded me to his limitations. It's easy to fall into believing a pre-fabricated narrative, and I think it's just as dangerous for us Twelves to fall into the "Matt Flynn could be The Next Hasselbeck" mental trap.

2) Jon Kitna was never going to magically "level-up" into an elite QB. It took Mike Holmgren one year to figure that out (maybe even less). Thankfully, I think Coach Carroll already knows that about Tarvaris Jackson- He's under no illusions that T-Jack will ever develop into Drew Brees. The question is whether Carroll will find HIS equivalent of Matt Hasselbeck, and if he'll be able to find him soon enough to take advantage of our young, quickly improving roster.

What do you think, sirs? Any Kitna memories to share?

That'll Do, Tarvaris.

2012-01-06T14:25:00.004-06:00

"Seahawks? PFFT. Why the hell did you guys sign Tarvaris?"

That was what a TSA agent said to me before I boarded my flight west for that Seahawks v Cardinals game last September. Few of Seattle's offseason moves were more derided than the twin decisions to let Matt Hasselbeck walk and replace him with ex-Vikings QB Tarvaris Jackson. I'll admit that at that moment I was stunned... But I came around to the notion that Jackson could be an effective "bridge" to the quarterback of the future, and that he was far more likely to survive the 2011-2012 seasons than Hasselbeck (and would be available at a much lower price). Back on July 31, I wrote this:

"I'm not thrilled that Matt Hasselbeck has been replaced by Tarvaris Jackson, but with the improved offensive talent surrounding him now, T-Jack doesn't have to be an All-Pro for the Seahawks to succeed. Really, he just needs to be as good (or a bit better) than Jon Kitna was with the Seahawks from 1997-2000. We don't have fond memories of Special K, but he WAS 18-15 as Seattle's starting QB. We just need T-Jack to be an average NFL QB."

After the preseason, many fans were clamoring for Charlie Whitehurst, and after two atrocious performances against the Niners and Steelers, Jackson was being called the worst starting quarterback in the NFL. It looked like it was just a matter of time before Whitehurst replaced T-Jack, and comparisons to the forlorn Seahawks offense of 1992 seemed apt.

Jackson started to win me over with a flawed but tough performance against Arizona in week 3, where he scored the go-ahead, lone TD in Seattle's 13-10 victory. His effort the next week in a losing cause against Atlanta made me a believer: 319 yards, 3 touchdowns, and a spectacular rally to almost transform a 27-7 blowout into a Seattle victory. T-Jack would have another impressive outing against the Giants before injuring his pectoral muscle- Charlie Whitehurst's pathetic performances against Cleveland and Cincinnati settled any possible QB "controversy" for good. In fact, Jackson would come off the bench against the Bengals and throw for a season-high 323 yards in just three-fourths of that game.

As Seattle's running game gained strength, Jackson became an effective "game manager" in the 2nd half of the season, throwing only four interceptions in Seattle's final eight games. He would still aggravate Twelves by holding the ball too long, and giving up more sacks than we all felt were necessary, and missing too many open receivers- But he also largely avoided the big mistakes that would cost us games, and when given time to throw he could unleash some of the prettiest deep balls you'll see in the NFL. Is it a triumph to be an average NFL quarterback? Hell no! But when your starting position is comparisons to stiffs like Stan Gelbaugh and Kelly Stouffer, ending up being as good or better than Jon Kitna aint bad.

Was T-Jack better than 1999 Jon Kitna? Jackson had a higher passer rating, threw fewer interceptions, and had a higher completion percentage, while Special K had more touchdown passes and passing yards. I'd say 2011 Jackson was better than 1999 Kitna, mainly based on the fact that Jackson improved as his season progressed while Kitna completely cratered in the 1999 stretch run after a hot start. It's also worth noting that 2011 Jackson was statistically better than 2008-2010 Matt Hasselbeck, and even this season Hasselbeck's numbers weren't significantly better than T-Jack's either. In short, Seattle got better QB play than it had seen over the last three years, and they got it from a player significantly younger and cheaper than Matt Hasselbeck. We can debate what Beck might have done had he stayed in Seattle, but I'm in the "Hass probably doesn't survive September behind that young O-line" camp.

Was Jackson good enough to allow Seattle to avoid needing to get a QB of the future? No. Was he good enough that I think he can lead us to the playoffs in 2012 as we continue to add more talent around him? Hell yes. For being a leader on our team, for playing through pain and injury, and for making nattering nabobs like that TSA dude look stupid, T-Jack deserves our thanks. I'm very happy that he's our quarterback right now.

What do you think, sirs?

Lazy Clip Show: My 10 Favorite Posts from the 2011 Season

2012-01-05T13:32:00.002-06:00

You and Whose Army? My 2001 Seattle Seahawks Story

Seahawks 13, Cardinals 10

Bronzed!

Bleed With Tarvaris

Seahawks 36, Giants 25

Browns 6, Seahawks 3

The Workings of a Delusional Mind

Seahawks 22, Ravens 17

Fuzzy Kingdome Memories: November 28, 1988

Seahawks 38, Bears 14

Ranking the Squads #21: 2011 (With Updated All-Time Rankings)

2012-01-03T09:09:00.006-06:00

21. 2011
Record: 7-9
Offensive Rank: 23th out of 32 teams
Defensive Rank: 7th out of 32
Turnover Ratio Rank: 5th out of 32
Team MVP: Earl Thomas
High Point: Seahawks 22, Ravens 17
Low Point: Steelers 24, Seahawks 0

In 2002, the Seahawks got off to an abysmal 2-6 start- It was bad enough that fans and media types in Seattle were calling for Mike Holmgren to get canned, only three years after coming to the Northwest as The Savior, covered in Super Bowl-winning glory. Somehow things started to come together in the 2nd half of that season, though- Matt Hasselbeck blossomed as a near-elite quarterback, throwing for over 3000 yards in only 10 starts. Holmgren's offense, anchored by Hasselbeck, Alexander, Jones and Hutchinson finally bloomed and the Hawks finished that campaign on a 5-3 uptick. It was the adolescence of one of the NFL's most prolific offenses from 2003-2007, and the beginning of Seattle's 2nd Pro Football "Golden Age."

We may look back in a few years and see 2011 as 2002's mirror image- Yes, Seattle's offense was much improved over 2010... Behind a talented and well-coached offensive line Marshawn Lynch punished enemy defenses and helped establish a new, tougher mentality. Tarvaris Jackson proved me right: He WAS better than 1999 Jon Kitna, and he played well enough that he is highly likely to be our starting QB again in 2012 (Even if he's just holding it down until a QB we draft is ready to go). Undrafted Free Agent Doug Baldwin was the team's leading receiver (and one of the NFL's best stories of 2011), and Golden Tate took steps towards becoming a dangerous weapon in the passing game. With better health next year, Seattle's offense could be in the top half of the NFL... But that's not why I'm so excited about the future of our team.

Seattle's defense is a pass-rushing DE or two away from becoming one of the top 5 defenses in the NFL. The quartet of Thomas, Chancellor, Sherman and Browner could become the best secondary in the league, perhaps as early as next season. Any of those four could lay a claim to the title of "team MVP," but I gave the nod to Thomas because his skills allowed the players around him to shine so brightly. Earl Thomas is Seattle's first Pro Bowl starter since 2007, and is on his way to a Kenny Easley-level NFL career. Up front, Red Bryant, Brandon Mebane, Chris Clemons and Alan Branch bedeviled opposing offenses and the linebacking corps of Hill, Wright and Hawthorne made Lofa Tatupu and Aaron Curry expendable. With one more solid draft and free agency period, Seattle could finish building an absolutely terrifying defense.

Special teams had an inconsistent year, but Jon Ryan was again one of the league's best punters, Leon Washington was still a dangerous return man, and the team blocked six kicks over the course of the 2011 season. A year that started with a plague of penalties and an offense that looked like it might sink to 1992 levels of ineptitude ended with nothing but hope for the future... The Seahawks were vastly improved over 2010 even in their losses- Instead of a string of blowout defeats, the 2011 Seahawks were within one score in the 4th quarter in all but one of their losses, and they notched memorable road wins at New York and Chicago. They shined on national TV against the Eagles and Rams, but their signature win was in a 22-17 blood-pisser vs the mighty Baltimore Ravens (and the play of the year was Marshawn Lynch nearly snapping off Ray Lewis' ankles with a juke to keep the game-clinching drive alive).

My memories of 2011 will always be fond ones- Even in that awful defeat at Cleveland, I got to shake hands with Earl Thomas and Pete Carroll before the game, which I'll never forget. I truly believe in time we'll look back on 2011 as the first shaky steps towards the 3rd Seahawks "Golden Age." First Knox, then Holmgren, now Carroll... But Coach Carroll will best Knox and Holmgren in the only criteria that matters: He will bring a Lombardi Trophy back to Seattle. I believe. It's only a matter of time.

Here's the updated all-time rankings- Enjoy!

1. 2005
2. 1984
3. 1983
4. 2007
5. 1986
6. 2003
7. 2006
8. 1988
9. 1987
10. 2010
11. 1979
12. 1990
13. 1978
14. 2001
15. 1999
16. 2004
17. 1998
18. 1985
19. 1997
20. 1995
21. 2011
22. 2002
23. 1991
24. 1996
25. 1989
26. 1982
27. 1977
28. 1981
29. 1993
30. 1994
31. 2000
32. 2008
33. 1980
34. 1976
35. 1992
36. 2009

Bottom 5 WORST Seahawks Regular Season Finales

2011-12-27T20:09:00.003-06:00

I usually try to emphasize the positive here on my blog, but I'm depressed and pissed off right now, so here's the five WORST regular season finales in Seahawks history. Fuck.

5. 12/23/00 Bills 42 @ Seahawks 23
The Seahawks were coming off an emotional victory over the hated Raiders, and I hoped they'd close the 2000 season strong by beating Doug Flutie and the Bills in front of a national TV audience. Instead, they face-planted in their final game ever at Husky Stadium, coughing up four turnovers and letting Flutie go apeshit for 397 total yards and three TDs.

4. 1/2/00 Jets 19, Seahawks 9
If the Seahawks could beat the Jets, they'd get some small measure of payback for Testaverde's "Phantom Touchdown" the previous season, and they'd win the AFC West title. Unfortunately the Hawks let Curtis Martin ramble for 154 demoralizing, clock-chewing yards and slowly faded into what felt like an inevitable defeat. The loss forced us Twelves to root for the FUCKING RAIDERS to beat Kansas City so Seattle could back into its first playoff berth since 1988. Yes, it was great that Oakland delivered, but I'm sure I'm not the only one who needed to take a long, hot shower after rooting for those asswedges.

3. 12/27/87 Chiefs 41, Seahawks 20
With a win over the 3-11 bottom-feeding Chiefs, the Seahawks would earn a home playoff game on Wild Card Weekend against the Houston Oilers. The Seahawks had just went on the road and bested the mighty Chicago Bears, so this would be easy-peasy, right? The problem? This one was at Arrowhead, and the Seahawks couldn't beat the 1976 Bucs if they played them at Arrowhead back in the 1980s...

Bill Kenney (who?) outgunned Dave Krieg and the Chiefs turned a 24-20 3rd-quarter brawl into a 41-20 pancaking by the final whistle. To make it even worse, Curt Warner would get injured and miss Seattle's Wild Card game at the Astrodome (which we'd lose 23-20 in OT).

2. 12/15/84 Broncos 31 @ Seahawks 14
With a win, the Seahawks would have won the AFC West and earned a first-round bye before hosting a divisional playoff game. The Kingdome crowd was cranked up to full volume to will Seattle to a victory, but the players didn't hold up their end of the bargain. The Broncos were badly outgained and lost the turnover battle (Elway threw FOUR interceptions), but somehow managed a relatively easy 31-14 victory. Instead of a bye week, the Seahawks had to bludgeon the Raiders to death before limping to Miami and getting carved to bits by Dan Marino.

1. 12/23/89 Redskins 29 @ Seahawks 0
I was overjoyed when my father got us tickets to Steve Largent's final game- I was 14 years old, and I spent WAY too much time fantasizing about how spectacular Largent's finale would be... I settled on the idea that he'd catch the winning TD in overtime, and just keep going into the tunnel- a perfect Ted Williams-esque finish!

Nope. Largent went out quietly with only 41 yards on 2 receptions, and the Seahawks sleepwalked to a shameful 29-0 defeat. Yes, the Seahawks made me cry that day. Jerks.

Seahawks Top 10 Regular Season Finales

2011-12-26T17:33:00.007-06:00

The Seahawks go into Glendale on New Year's Day striving to level their record at 8-8, which would provide the team (and us Twelves) a pleasant conclusion to a hope-building season. In our franchise history, Seattle is a maddeningly inconclusive/mediocre 18-17 in regular season finales. Here's the Top 10 wins that either sent us into the offseason on a rousing high note, or in some cases rocketed us headlong into the postseason- Enjoy!

10. 12/21/97 Seahawks 38, Niners 9
The Niners came in with their playoff seeding locked in, and treated this like a glorified preseason game. Despite that, this was still a very satisfying win to close out my first season as a season ticket holder. Warren Moon wrapped up his spectacular 1997 season with four TD passes, including two to Joey Galloway. Michael Sinclair notched two sacks to bring his season total to 12, and Chris Warren closed out his Seahawks career with 99 yards (making him the all-time leading rusher in Seahawks history by a single yard over Curt Warner until Shaun Alexander came to town).

9. 12/29/02 Seahawks 31 @ Chargers 28 (OT)
This win might have "only" gotten the Seahawks to 7-9, but it was a thrilling glimpse of the great things coming in the mid-00s for Seattle. Matt Hasselbeck closed out an amazing 2nd half of the 2002 season with a career high 449 yards passing, outdueling future Hall-of-Famer Drew Brees. The Hawks trailed 28-14 in the final quarter, but Hasselbeck rallied the Seahawks to tie the game in the waning moments of regulation and then whipped the offense into field goal range in Sudden Death. Itula Mili and Koren Robinson both had 100-yard days and John Randle added three key sacks of Brees.

8. 1/6/02 Seahawks 21, Chiefs 18
This one is very deserving of a spot on this list, but it was still a pretty damn somber win despite Alexander's 127 yards rushing and Darrell Jackson's pair of touchdowns...

A) This game was rescheduled from right after the 9/11 attacks, so that was on everyone's minds.

B) It was the most intolerable weather I've ever sat through at an NFL game. Heavy rain, wind gusts, temps in the 30s... WAY worse than simple cold or snow- And it was at Husky Stadium, which was usually a pain in the ass even in the best weather.

C) Late in a fairly boring Seattle win, we found out that John Hall had hit a 50+ yard FG to beat the Raiders and almost certainly kill Seattle's playoff hopes.

D) We decided to do the park & ride thing to and from the game. Big mistake that day.... Wet, cold and depressed, it took almost two hours on the bus to get back to the parking lot. Ugh.

7. 12/30/90 Seahawks 30, Lions 10
A win would keep Seattle alive for the playoffs (but they'd need Pittsburgh to beat Houston in the SNF game too), but the electric Barry Sanders was coming to town with the rest of the Lions in tow.

The tandem of Derrick Fenner and John L. Williams clearly outplayed the NFL's leading rusher, as Sanders was held to only 23 yards while the Seahawks piled up 151 yards rushing. The Seattle defense sacked Detroit QBs 5 times, and Eugene Robinson scooped up a fumble and returned it for a TD... A tie game at the half became an easy 30-10 Seahawks win, and the Twelve Army was sent home happy but nervous...

I had the particularly terrible experience of listening to Seattle's playoff dreams die on the long, treacherous drive over the pass and back to the Tri-Cities. Houston pounded the Steelers 34-14, which meant that the 9-7 Oilers and Bengals made the playoffs despite the fact that both teams lost to the 9-7 Seahawks (The Bengals won the AFC central, and Houston had a better conference record than the Seahawks and the 9-7 Steelers). Grrr.

6. 12/20/86 Seahawks 41, Broncos 16
The 1986 Seahawks would miss the playoffs on tiebreakers, but after this demolition of the eventual AFC Champion Broncos, the rest of the NFL breathed a collective sigh of relief. Curt Warner rambled for 192 yards and three touchdowns, Daryl Turner scored twice, and the Hawks racked up 586(!) yards of total offense. The Seahawks would be picking chunks of Bronco out of their cleats for a week after this one- Total domination.

5. 1/2/05 Seahawks 28, Falcons 26
The Hawks had already clinched a playoff spot, but with a win in the season finale (or a Rams loss to the Jets), Seattle would win its first NFC West title. I was at this one, and with the playoff-bound, seeding-locked-in Falcons treating it like an exhibition game, I loved our chances.

But this was 2004- and this team was determined to torture their fans. They fell behind 17-7 before clawing back into a 21-20 4th quarter lead. Matt Hasselbeck scored on a QB sneak to make it 28-20 in the waning minutes (oh, we'll come back to that), but the Falcons marched right back down to the Hawks' Nest to get within a two-point conversion of OT... But then a draw play- Dunn struggling for the goal line- and he is stopped short! Wooooo! NFC West Champions!

Hold those positive vibes, though. In a post-game interview, Shaun Alexander accused Coach Holmgren of "stabbing him in the back" when he called for that QB sneak, rather than handing it to #37. It turned out that Alexander was one yard short of winning the NFL rushing title, and was also acutely aware of that fact. Holmgren either didn't know or (more likely) didn't care, and suddenly the story wasn't Seattle's division title and upcoming home playoff game- It was Alexander's outburst, which ultimately gave unlimited ammunition to Seahawks fans already predisposed to dislike him for his less-than-hard-nosed running style.

4. 12/27/03 Seahawks 24 @ Niners 17
The Seahawks went to Candlestick Park for a Saturday afternoon game just after Xmas, needing a win and some help the following day to qualify for the postseason for only the 2nd time since 1988. Seattle entered the game at 9-6, but sported a pathetic 1-6 road record coming into the game. Niners coach Dennis Erickson was hoping for a win to finish the season 8-8 (which was a habit he picked up back in Seattle during the 1990s), and to exact vengeance upon his old employers and the coach who replaced him in Seattle.

The Hawks quickly fell behind 14-0, and lamentations of "same old Seahawks" rang out across the land like church bells. Another winning but playoff-free season loomed.. It was '78, '79, '86, and '90 allll over again... but the Seahawks clawed and gouged back into the game, and then something amazing happened late in the 3rd:

Matt Hasselbeck threw a PERFECT pass to Koren Robinson in the back of the end zone... and K-rob HELD ONTO IT and got both feet in bounds. 21-17 Seahawks. Josh Brown extended the lead to 7, and Shaun Alexander ate up most of the 4th quarter on the ground. The D stopped a last-gasp Niners drive, and Seattle triumphed in a game very few expected them to win.

3. 1/2/11 Seahawks 16, Rams 6
It was fashionable for the national media to crap on this game between a 7-8 and 6-9 teams that would decide the NFC West title. It was damn near conventional wisdom among Seahawks "fans" that the team would be better off losing the game and getting a higher draft pick than going to the playoffs only to get bludgeoned to death by a superior team.

53 players, their coaches and 67,000 screaming Twelves didn't give a FUCK about any of that shit. Charlie Whitehurst etched his name into Seahawks history by leading Seattle to a win over the prematurely anointed Rams- He hit Ruvell Martin for a huge gain on the opening drive, which he closed by connecting with Mike Williams for what would ultimately be the deciding touchdown.

Whitehurst got a huge assist from Seattle's maligned offensive line and the defense crashed The Sam Bradford Coronation Party, spiked the punch, smashed the ice sculptures, and ate all the bacon-wrapped shrimp. Steven Jackson was held to 45 yards rushing, and the only points STL could muster were two field goals by The Traitor Josh Brown.

2. 12/18/83 Seahawks 24, Patriots 6
The 8-7 Seahawks found themselves needing a home win against the 8-7 Patriots to clinch the franchise's first-ever playoff berth.

My Dad took me to that game (my 1st ever, at age 8), and EVERYTHING about it was awe-inspiring; from the first moment I saw the Kingdome driving in from I-90, to the dizzying cavernous grandeur of the Dome's interior. Of course, as I grew older I began to consider King County Stadium more or less a shithole, but on that day, it was the Louvre to me.

I screamed for what seemed like 4 hours straight, starting with a shrieking series of boos aimed at the Patriots as they took the field for warm-ups. We were in the 300 level, and there was no way they could possibly have heard me, but I still roared until my voice was gone. What an annoying little shit, huh?

The game itself was perfect: The deafening roar of the 12th Man, a Largent touchdown, and an easy blowout victory. Famously, the Seahawks came out of the locker room after the game to mingle with the remaining Soldiers of Twelve left in the Dome. If I wasn't already hooked for life, this game sealed the deal.

1. 12/18/88 Seahawks 43 @ Raiders 37
L.A. and Seattle came into the Coliseum that day with a combined record of 15-15, but the winner would make the playoffs. On that damp, dreary, Seattle-like day, the Seahawks were playing for their first AFC West title. Both defenses seemed to have brought the wrong shoes for the muddy track... The teams traded scores all day, but the Hawks pulled ahead in the 4th and held on for the biggest regular-season road win in team history, keyed by a spectacular John L. Williams TD on a perfectly executed "middle screen."

Here's the whole game! 1st half, then 2nd half... Dig it!

What do you think, sirs?

Niners 19, Seahawks 17

2011-12-25T12:28:00.003-06:00

When I woke up this morning, my first thought wasn't "Yay! It's Christmas!" It was "Shit. We lost."

This one hurts. It hurts more than I thought a loss by a 7-7 Seahawks team would. It hurts because the 49ers are such a despicable, classless organization. It hurts because if one or two more plays had broken our way, we would have won. It hurts because our playoff hopes are now kaput. It hurts because now it's sinking in that season is almost over- Sometimes, like in 2009, the end of the season is a blessing. 2011 isn't like that, though. I would love to spend more than one last afternoon on New Year's Day watching these guys play. They're exciting, they're enthusiastic, and they fight... But the best thing is that they are still improving.

Tarvaris Jackson is taking a lot of heat, and for his performance overall yesterday that's justified- But there isn't a magical upgrade at QB waiting out there for the Seahawks to make this offseason. If the Seahawks draft a quarterback, it will be someone who will sit for a year or two behind Jackson, and no available free agent is a clear upgrade over T-Jack. Our hope for 2012 will have to be that as the team continues to improve around Jackson, we will also see an uptick in his level of play. I sincerely believe that with another great draft and FA period, the Seahawks will be a 10+ win team in 2012, even with Jackson playing at his current (fairly average) level.

The Seahawks showed who they were yesterday: A young, talented team that isn't QUITE ready to make that leap into the top tier of the league yet. It's little, correctable things for the most part: A blown coverage here, a special teams breakdown there, a broken play at the goal line that costs us 4 points. But the big bad Niners didn't push the Seahawks around physically, and breaking up their streaks of denying rushing TDs/100-yard rushers IS significant, even in defeat. Marshawn Lynch must return to the Seahawks next season, assuming we can franchise him or give him a fair, market-value deal. I understand the argument that running backs are somewhat fungible, but Lynch's talent and intensity are key to the success of this Seattle offense. If the Hawks can keep him without totally fucking up their cap situation, they absolutely should.

So we stand at 7-8 with a game remaining, out of playoff contention. I still think next week is important for a number of reasons, though:

-Avoiding a 4th consecutive losing season
-Finishing 2nd in the NFC West, and notching a winning record in the division
-Evening our road record at 4-4, which is a rare feat for this franchise
-Because winning beats losing, you know (as Nuke Laloosh once said)

I plan to enjoy the whipping we'll administer to the Cardinals on New Year's Day, mainly because we won't see our boys in action again for the better part of a year. I will miss these 2011 Seahawks, and they deserve to go into the record books as something other than 7-9 losers. 8-8 isn't great, but it sounds about right for this team as they keep climbing up a steep incline towards NFL supremacy.

Merry Christmas, Twelves! What do you think, sirs?

Hemispheres

2011-12-21T13:35:00.002-06:00

My football mind is somewhat bifurcated right now- Let me break down this schism:

-It would be amazing if the Seahawks made the playoffs, or even just finished 9-7... but the Hawks have already had a season we can take pride in, even if they lose the last two games. 7-9 would match last year's record, but it would come with 16 players being sent to IR (and against a much tougher schedule). This year we've seen tons of development from many young players and an unexpectedly strong performance from Tarvaris Jackson. The secondary is on the verge of becoming one of the best in football, and the team is creating an identity based on mental and physical toughness.

The vast majority of front office moves by PCJS appear to be working out so far, and the team's overall potential points to a possible 2012 playoff run, even without the "Quarterback of the Future." The team fought bravely after a 2-6 start, and can boast signature wins over the Giants, Ravens and Bears. Yes, it would suck if we lost Saturday, but it wouldn't change the fact that the future belongs to our Seahawks...

On the other side of my brainpan...

-Fuck the fucking Niners! Fuck their fans, fuck their smug, arrogant douchenozzle of a coach, fuck Patrick Willis, fuck Frank Gore, and MOTHER FUCK Alex Smith. The ONLY thing I want for Christmas is a win over these dickbags. Ever since week 1 I've wanted another shot at these jokers, and I want our boys to emphatically demonstrate that the Niners are merely renting our NFC West throne- We will be taking it back sooner than anyone outside the Twelve Army thinks possible.

The Niners fancy themselves as tough guys- They are going to find out Saturday that the Seahawks can inflict punishment too. I want to see Kam Chancellor drop Vernon Davis like a bag of fucking hammers. I want to see Chris Clemons scramble Alex Smith's mindgrapes. I want to see Frank Gore stuffed over and over and over again. I want the 49ers to limp off the field bloodied, bruised and defeated. I want their fucking fans to take the same walk of shame I had to endure after that game in Cleveland earlier this year.

I want vengance. Pure, evil, spiteful vengance.

And if we win, my most fevered, curdled, hateful dream might live on: That we sneak in the playoffs and travel down the coast to play SF again on Wild Card Weekend... and then, with an upset win we ruin all that was good and worthwhile about San Francisco's 2011 season. All they will remember is the stinging pain of a divisional rival snuffing out what they thought was going to be a "special" season. It would be magnificent- We'd speak of it in hushed, reverent tones for decades...

But I'm getting ahead of myself... Win on Saturday or you ruin my Christmas, Seahawks. Go beat these worthless sacks of crap!

What do you think sirs?

Seahawks 38, Bears 14

2011-12-18T23:28:00.005-06:00

For grizzled veterans of the Twelve Army, the ugly first half today in Chicago followed a very familiar, very cliched script: In an important late-season road game, the Seahawks were making big mistakes, making an opposing "just a guy" QB look like a Pro Bowler, and shitting away an opportunity to "level up." Of course I thought we were still in the game, but what came next even shocked me, the King of Wishful Thinking...

In the 2nd half we came out and BEAT THE FUCKING SHIT out of the Chicago Bears. 31-0 doesn't even fully express how completely Seattle dominated the last 30 minutes of today's game- The Hawks marched downfield and shoved the tying TD down the Bears' throats on their opening possession, then followed up with a perfectly timed blitz that forced Caleb Hanie to throw a giftwrapped pick-six to Big Red Bryant. After that, Hanie evidently remembered that he sucked- His facade of 1st-half competence completely evaporated after that play.

Tarvaris Jackson made an inexcusable mistake to hand Chicago a 1st-half TD, and looked like "Bad T-Jack" from last September through the opening 30 minutes... But after the half he was magnificent, once again avoiding interceptions and making more than a few impressive throws- and a large share of the credit for that goes to Seattle's maligned but surprisingly solid offensive line. Despite missing three starters lost to IR, they didn't allow Chicago's fearsome pass rush to shut down Seattle's passing game in the 2nd half. The Bears may have succeeded in "stopping" Marshawn Lynch by holding him to just 42 yards, but Seattle's offense still put up 24 points (and Beast Mode still found the end zone twice).

Seattle's defense continues to grow more intimidating each week. Over the last 6 games, they've allowed only nine total touchdowns and scored three of their own (That's a net of averaging only one TD allowed per game over the last month and a half, yo). Today they recorded four sacks and five takeaways, erasing Chicago's entire offensive attack (Fuck You, Mike Martz). K.J. Wright, Red Bryant, and Chris Clemons had great games, but once again the story was that young Seattle secondary: Browner, Sherman, Chancellor and Thomas. It's not at all crazy to argue they are one of the NFL's best defensive backfields- By next season they might just be the best in football.

I was overstuffed with joy today as this one became an ever bigger, ever more decisive blowout. I'm so proud of how this team has fought, and I feel privileged to be able to watch them grow and improve every single week. I have NO doubt that we will win these final two games against the Niners and Cardinals to reach 9-7... Even if we don't make the playoffs, that would be an important accomplishment (our first winning season since 2007 is nothing any Twelve should dismiss).

But there is still hope- As far as I can tell, two scenarios remain that would get Seattle into the playoffs:

2 Seattle wins + 2 Detroit losses (SD, @GB)

2 Seattle wins + 2 Atlanta losses (@NO, TB) + 2 Chicago wins (@GB, @MIN)

Are our playoff chances great? Hell no. But it's not that implausible either, particularly the Lions scenario. Playoffs or not, I want to close out this mother fucker by kicking the piss out of SF and AZ.

I'm an incredibly happy Twelve today, y'all. What do you think, sirs?

Updated Seahawks Playoff Scenarios for Week 15

2011-12-16T07:41:00.003-06:00

I just wanted to post something quick about where the Seahawks stand in the NFC playoff race after Atlanta's 41-14 win over Jacksonville last night. Tons of people that have messaged me on twitter are simply DEAD WRONG about some stuff, so here's your latest dose of reality... As usual, feel free to check my reasoning against the Official NFL Tiebreaking Scenarios, and my math against the ESPN Playoff Machine.

With the win last night, the Falcons are VERY close to clinching a playoff spot, but not quite there yet. For our purposes, we should mentally concede the 5th seed to Atlanta at this point. There are playoff scenarios for the Seahawks involving ATL (outlined below), but they are among the least probable ones. Effectively the Seahawks are competing with the Bears, Lions, Cardinals and whoever doesn't win the NFC East between the Giants and Cowboys for the last NFC playoff spot.

If the Seahawks win at Chicago this Sunday, they CANNOT be eliminated this week. If they lose and Detroit wins at Oakland, Seattle IS ELIMINATED. Clear?

Here's what people seem to not be getting: There are scenarios where Dallas' head-to-head win over the Seahawks simply DOESN'T MATTER. Those scenarios are ALL multi-team tiebreakers EXCEPT a tie involving ONLY SEA-DAL-ATL. If Detroit is added to ANY variation of a SEA-DAL tie breaker, the Seahawks win the tiebreaker and get in the playoffs. Why? Well let's look at the NFL's official tiebreaking rules:

-Head-to-head sweep. (Applicable only if one club has defeated each of the others or if one club has lost to each of the others.)
-Best won-lost-tied percentage in games played within the conference.

The first one would be relevant in a SEA-DAL-ATL tiebreaker. Since Seattle lost to both Dallas and Atlanta, they'd be knocked out in that scenario (IMPORTANT NOTE: ESPN playoff machine doesn't appear to take this one into account, but it's right there in the official NFL procedures- So beware). But if you add Detroit, who the Seahawks don't play this season, the relevant tiebreaker is conference record- If the Seahawks win out, they will have an 8-4 conference record and win that tiebreaker over Detroit, Dallas, Atlanta, and NYG. What does all this mean? I will bold the next bit...

If the Seahawks and Lions both finish 9-7, Seattle makes the playoffs. So the most direct (but not only) route to the postseason for the Seahawks is 3 wins + EXACTLY 2 Lions losses.

In that case, what NYG and Dallas both do over the last three weeks would be TOTALLY IRRELEVANT. Got it? Here are some of the other scenarios that would get Seattle in the playoffs if they win out (I'm not going to TOUCH 8-8 playoff scenarios for the Seahawks yet- I will worry about that in the event that we lose one).

3 SEA wins + 1 DET loss + 2 ATL losses + DAL wins NFC East + NYG loses EXACTLY twice
(Detroit would be 5 seed at 10-6, SEA/ATL/NYG all 9-7, SEA wins on conference record)

3 SEA wins + 3 DET losses + DAL wins NFC East
(Detroit would be 8-8, ATL would be in (at least 9-7), and possibility of a SEA-DAL tie would be eliminated)

3 SEA wins + 3 DET losses + DAL loses at least 2
(Detroit would be 8-8, ATL would be in (at least 9-7), and possibility of a SEA-DAL tie would be eliminated)

3 SEA wins + 3 DET losses + PHI wins NFC East
(VERY unlikely, but Seahawks get into the playoffs all alone at 9-7 here, because DET, NYG, DAL would ALL be 8-8)

Feel free to point out any "Seahawks at 9-7" playoff scenarios that I have missed.

What do you think, sirs?

Top 5: Seahawks Beat Bears! (UPDATED)

2011-12-14T07:28:00.004-06:00

(I wrote an earlier version of this for Field Gulls last year, but this is updated to include our victory at Soldier Field last October- Enjoy!)

It's getting to the point that we actually have a semi-rivalry with the Bears, given how often we've played them lately and the fact that they bounced us from the 2007 and 2010 playoffs. I can honestly say I hate them; not in the way I hate the Steelers, Niners, Rams, Cardinals, Broncos, Raiders or Cowboys, of course... But it's still low-grade hatred I feel when I am forced to think about that team in Chicago. Why?

It's mostly because they have an insufferable fan base that has made living in the past a twisted form of high art. Yes, the Bears have a long, impressive history of playing hard-nosed defense (which Chicago fans will never shut up about), but their actual level of overall team success doesn't match the hype. Just for funsies, let's compare the Bears and Seahawks since the start of the 1986 season:

Winning seasons? Bears 12, Seahawks 11.

Playoff appearances? Bears 10, Seahawks 9.

Division titles? Bears 9, Seahawks 7.

Super Bowl appearances? Both teams have 1.

Very similar profiles, huh? But you'd never know it because of the huge shadow cast by the 1985 Bears.

Obviously, the '85 Bears were one of the greatest teams in NFL history. How do I know this? Because there are about a krillion former Bears in the media spotlight who NEVER STOP BLATHERING ABOUT IT. On top of that, since a ton of actors, comedians, musicians and even Presidents hail from Chicago, the team gets a huge share of pop culture attention, particularly when they experience even modest success.

1985 was a LOOOOONG time ago. I was 10, and I bet a huge swath of you readers weren't even born yet. Today, the Bears are a wounded team in a death-spiral, and the Seahawks will finish them off for good on Sunday. But enough about the glorious future... Let's look back on Seattle's 5 greatest wins over these schmoes...

5. 9/23/84 Seahawks 38, Bears 9

The Bears came into the Kingdome undefeated, and likely thought the Curt-Warner-less Hawks represented an easy opportunity to run their record to 4-0, right? Mr. Schwarzenegger, a little help?

The Bears actually took a 7-0 lead on a Walter Payton TD PASS (!), but it was all Seahawks after that, including one of the greatest catches of Steve Largent's career (1:03 mark of following clip)

This was also the 2nd Seahawks game I ever attended in person, so it's got a special place in my heart.

4. 9/19/99 Seahawks 14 @ Bears 13

Ladies and gents, this was the one and only highlight of the brief Glenn Foley era in Seahawks lore. In fact, it was Foley's only start at QB for the Seahawks. At least he made the most of it, throwing for 283 yards, 2 4th quarter TDs and no picks. This was a pretty typical 10-am-start sleepwalking performance for Seattle until the final quarter, when the Seahawks sprung up off the mat and erased a 13-0 Chicago advantage. In the final minutes, Foley hit Fabian Bownes (who?) for the game-winning 49-yard score.

On a personal note, this game went down on my first weekend after moving out to Columbus for grad school, and the Seahawks win took the edge off the spectacular loneliness and isolation I was feeling at the time.

3. 11/18/07 Seahawks 30, Bears 23

The Twelve Army was still smarting from that OT divisional playoff loss at Soldier Field 10 months earlier, and demanded a small measure of satisfaction in the rematch at Seahawks Stadium. Chicago jumped out to a worrisome 10-0 lead early, but Matt Hasselbeck came through with an all-time great performance: 30/44 for 337 yards, 2 TDs and 0 picks (isn't Beck's 2007 season incredible in retrospect, given that Seattle absolutely couldn't do a damn thing on the ground?). D.J. Hackett flashed his (ultimately untapped) potential with a 9 catch, 136 yard day, and the defense sealed the win by forcing a Rex Grossman fumble late in the 4th quarter.

Side note: this was also the game where Josh Brown LIT UP Devin Hester on a kickoff return... ahhh, memories.

2. 10/17/10 Seahawks 23 @ Bears 20

The 2-2 Seahawks were supposed to get mangled by the big, scary 4-1 Bears, but Seattle flipped the script and authored the first big road win of the Pete Carroll era- As I wrote in this space last year:

Usually it's Seattle's QB who takes a 3-hour beating when the Hawks hit the road. Not today... It was amazing to watch the Seahawks defense beat Jay Cutler to a dazed, fuzzy pulp with six sacks, a safety, and a fuck-load of hits/hurries.

Usually it's an opposing WR that runs wild all over Seattle for 10 catches and 135 yards. Not today... Mike Williams fucking TOOK the #1 WR job today with a "comeback player of the year" sort of performance.

It went on and on... Russell Okung took a big step towards me buying his jersey with a complete ERASURE of Julius Peppers. The young guys in our secondary got beat a handful of times, but overall they played great, buttressed by the veteran leadership of Lawyer Milloy and future Ring-of-Honoree Marcus Trufant. Jon Ryan pinned the Bears inside the 20 what, like 17 times? It sure felt that way.

Beast Mode/Young Nastman are going to spearhead a great ground attack, hopefully well into the middle of the decade. It was heartening to see Lynch turn negative plays into something positive, if not at least neutral, more than once.

1. 12/20/87 Seahawks 34, Bears 21

The Seahawks came to Chicago needing a win to clinch a spot in the playoffs. Considering that they faced a trip to Arrowhead the next week, Seattle's post-season hopes seemed dim. Not only was it a 10 am kickoff with the wind chill in the 20s, it was also the final regular season home game for the great Walter Payton. To the vast bulk of the football public, the Seahawks might as well have been wearing unis that said "Opponent" like Homer Simpson wore before he fought Drederick Tatum.

The Seahawks responded by delivering their best performance of that 1987 season. Walter Payton was held to 79 yards rushing; the Seattle defense, led by Brian Bosworth (who wasn't bad at all in '87), Eugene Robinson, and the Nash/Bryant/Green wall, forced 5 turnovers. Dave Krieg was basically flawless, Curt Warner scored twice, and John L. Williams delivered one of the greatest TDs in team history (1:45 mark of following clip).

I expect the 2011 Seahawks do go forth and do likewise this Sunday.

What do you think, sirs?

Seahawks 30, Rams 13

2011-12-13T13:26:00.003-06:00

It's easy to forget this, but a year ago, the Seahawks were also 6-7 at this point. Even though the happenstance of being in the historically weak 2010 NFC West kept that team atop the division, that was a bleak time for a Seattle team in transition. They were in the middle of a stretch where they'd lose five out of six games, and had just been blown out by the 49ers. They looked like the worst kind of mixture of fading veterans and youngsters utterly out of their depth- In retrospect it's astounding that they got within 2 wins of the Super Bowl with such marrow-deep flaws.

A year later the record is the same (and the playoff probabilities much lower), but the FEELING about the team has changed immeasurably for the better. They are still flawed, and still making mistakes- but their talent, hunger, and will to win are becoming easier to see with each passing week. The contrast to the forlorn Rams, who have a small handful of promising players but almost NOTHING else to create hope for the future, is striking.

It wasn't supposed to be like this. The Seahawks were supposed to sink under the incompetent rah-rah leadership of Pete Carroll while the Rams started their decade-long reign at the top of the NFC West... as Sam Bradford became an elite quarterback slicing and dicing the hapless secondaries unfortunate enough to face him. Instead, Bradford is banged up and regressing (and has a whiff of Rick Mirer right now), and their coach is probably going to get fired. And the Seahawks? Pete Carroll is right on the verge of decisively proving all the naysayers wrong. Carroll and John Schneider are only in year two of a total rebuild, but they are constructing an intense, physical, mentally tough roster. If the Holmgren Hawks were about precision and execution, the Carroll Hawks are about BLUNT FORCE TRAUMA.

In last night's flawed performance, we still saw a Seahawks team that was able to put away an inferior opponent (something they failed to do just two weeks ago against DC). Marshawn Lynch was more effective as the game dragged on and the St. Louis defense started to get gassed- Big ups again to Tom Cable for coaching up Seattle's spare-parts offensive line. Tarvaris Jackson missed too many open targets, but he still had an efficient game, didn't throw any picks, and made a handful of REALLY impressive throws. No one had a more spectacular night than Doug Baldwin, however... The Stanford kid had a big kickoff return, blocked a punt, downed a punt inside the 5, caught a touchdown, and was Seattle's leading receiver.

Once again the Seattle secondary was a joy to observe, despite a number of flags issued against them (a few of which were at best borderline). Browner, Sherman, Chancellor and Thomas... That is a quartet I want to see snuffing opposing offenses for the next decade or so. They collectively suffocated St. Louis' air attack, and the front seven kept Steven Jackson under 100 yards (as the Hawks of done EVERY time Jackson has played against us- Ever).

The Seahawks have now won 13 out of the last 14 games against the Rams- That's satisfying, but it still hasn't quite made up for the pain of 2004. Perhaps another 10 or 12 in a row will do the trick.

Now we look forward to Chicago and another must-win game. The Bears are still dangerous, even without Cutler and Forte, and even riding a 3-game losing streak... But this is a game I truly believe the Seahawks will win. If they do, it will set up an apocalyptic Christmas Eve showdown with the 49ers at Seahawks Stadium. If the Seahawks are still in the playoff chase that day, it will be one of the most emotionally charged regular-season games we've seen in a while.

There's a lot of other things beyond Seattle's control that need to happen for the Hawks to make the playoffs- But I'd bet a few crates of Skittles that they'll win the last three and get to 9-7. I think we've reached a point where the Twelve Army has plenty of reasons to believe.

What do you think, sirs?

Fuzzy Kingdome Memories: November 28, 1988

2011-12-12T09:49:00.003-06:00

In my 28 years as a Seahawks fan, I've been to exactly ONE Monday Night game. I was 13, and it was awesome. Here's the story...

The Seahawks and Raiders were both 6-6 going into that prime-time showdown in the Kingdome- The winner would join the 7-6 Broncos atop the AFC West going into the homestretch. Not only was it a key divisional battle, it was one against the detestable, despicable L.A. Raiders (and we were all still salty over Bo Jackson's demolition of the Seahawks, Brian Bosworth, and our collective mental health on MNF a year earlier). When my Dad got us tickets for this game, I totally spazzed out (even more than usual).

Thankfully I was a spoiled kid, so I got to skip school on that Monday so we could get to Seattle with plenty of time to spare before the 6 pm kickoff. Our seats were in the lower level, down in the end zone only a few rows from the field of play. I usually preferred sitting up higher (and I still do now), but it turned out to be a blast sitting down low for this particular dust-up.

The Kingdome was ALWAYS loud, but it was mind-scrambling that night. I vividly recall Steve Largent catching a TD right in front of me to open the scoring- It felt like he was close enough to reach out and high-five, and the crowd EXPLODED when he scored (Largent was in his next-to-last NFL season, and his numbers had declined thus far in '88- Seeing him score sent a jolt through the capacity crowd).

How loud was it? On the following drive the Raiders committed FIVE consecutive false start penalties. I screamed so long and so loud that I lost my voice, which didn't return until around Thursday. The teams traded blows throughout the first half, but the Seahawks looked like they'd go into the locker room up 21-20 after Krieg hit Paul Skansi for the 3rd of his FIVE TD passes. Then, craziness!

Tim Brown returned the kickoff 95 yards to the Seattle 3, and it looked like L.A. would certainly score- But a Bo Jackson TD was wiped out by a holding call, and then the Raiders shanked a gimme FG attempt as the half expired. In my 13-year-old head, Chris Bahr missed that kick because of the roar the Twelve Army unleashed upon him- I was delirious with joy.

Side note: I CLEARLY remember Tim Brown getting tackled and the FG miss happening right in front of me like the Largent TD, but that can't be accurate given that the teams must have switched ends between quarters- Chalk one up for the unreliability of memory, huh?

The Seahawks would commit a total of five turnovers, and enter the 4th quarter trailing 27-21. Dave Krieg's last two TD passes put Seattle up for good and they'd hold on for a memorable 35-27 victory (back in '88 there weren't 2-point conversions in the NFL, so an 8-point gap was two scores). Both John L. Williams and Curt Warner ran for over 100 yards, and the Seahawks erupted for 459 total yards. Conversely, the Seattle defense held their tormentor Bo Jackson to just 31 yards on 13 carries (Did it help that L.A. rolled out Steve Beuerlein and Jay Schroeder at QB that day? Fuck yeah- but we can just gloss over that fact).

The Seahawks won, and my Dad and I enjoyed a long but happy post-game drive back to the Tri-Cities. I showed up at school the next day sleep-deprived but triumphant in one of my many Steve Largent jerseys... The Seahawks would go on to beat the Raiders in L.A. on the season's final Sunday to take their first AFC West title (here's that whole game on youtube in two parts: Part 1 and Part 2).

I also remember us waving around this towel at that MNF game... I think I still have it in a box at my Mom's house somewhere, and I remember seeing one at the Pro Football Hall of Fame when I visited a few years back:

What do you think, sirs?

Seahawks Playoff Scenarios/Brief Thoughts on Tim Tebow

2011-12-12T07:49:00.004-06:00

Here's where the Seahawks stand in the NFC playoff race going into tonight's game against the St. Louis Rams- Feel free to check my reasoning against the NFL tie-breaking procedures and my math against the ESPN playoff machine...

First, the current standings of the NFC Wild Card division, with the remaining opponents for each team in parentheses.

5. Falcons 8-5 (JAX, @NO, TB)
6. Lions 8-5 (@OAK, SD, @GB)
7. Bears 7-6 (SEA, @GB, @MIN)
8. Giants 7-6 (DC, "@"NYJ, DAL)
9. Cowboys 7-6 (@TB, PHI, @NYG)
10. Cardinals 6-7 (CLE, @CIN, SEA)
11. Seahawks 5-7 (STL, @CHI, SF, @AZ)

Those standings make things look worse than they actually are- After Seattle wins tonight, they will pass Arizona... and either the Cowboys or Giants will win the NFC East. Then, Seattle wins over the Rams and Bears would push them past Chicago as well. So let's get down to it- What will get the Seahawks into the playoffs? Let's start with a few basic principles:

1. Everything I say from here on assumes that the Seahawks will win out. They can theoretically stay alive with one loss, but the probabilities really drop off the cliff in that case.

2. If the Seahawks finish 9-7, they'd have an 8-4 conference record (our 1-3 record against the AFC North sorta helps here). That is good enough to win (almost) every tie-breaker involving 3 or more teams.

3. The Seahawks would win one-on-one/head-to-head tiebreakers with the Lions, Giants, and Bears (assuming we beat them Dec. 18). Seattle LOSES one-on-one/head-to-head tiebreakers with the Cowboys and Falcons. In a specific 3-way tiebreaker with ONLY the Cowboys and Falcons, the Seahawks lose.

4. In ANY and ALL tiebreaking scenarios that involve the Seahawks AND Lions, the Seahawks win, and get in the playoffs. Why? We'd have a better conference record than the Lions, and if Detroit is involved it eliminates the possibility of Seattle getting knocked out due to head-to-head losses to Dallas and Atlanta.

5. Over in the NFC East, one team will win the division (and thus we won't have to worry about them), and the other will have AT LEAST 7 losses. The only thing we have to worry about here are the "head-to-head with Dallas" and "3-way-tie with Dallas and Atlanta" scenarios.

Distill all that down, and the SIMPLEST playoff scenario for the Seahawks is:

4 Seahawks wins + EXACTLY 2 Lions losses = Seattle makes the playoffs.

There are more complex scenarios involving lots of Atlanta and Dallas losses, but our most direct path to the playoffs is via Detroit.

A few brief words about Tim Tebow to conclude here...

First of all, thanks for beating the Bears, kid! Last week I said I'd "Tebow" if the Broncos won, and as the above pic shows I'm a man of my word.

Beyond that, I'll never be a Tebow fan unless he somehow ends up on the Seahawks. In that case, as long as he won games I could put up with his aggravating disciples, the endless hype, and his religious proselytizing. I'm a hell-bound, blasphemous unbeliever and a Seahawks fan- Why WOULD I root for a openly, deeply religious Broncos QB? I'd have to be lobotomized.

I will admit that I can see why his teammates would run through a wall for the guy- He does have those intangible leadership qualities. He is also great for the league right now... Every Broncos game is absolutely "Must-See TV" at this point (and I think NBC should have fought harder to flex Broncos v Patriots into prime time next week.. I would have been glued to that).

So yeah, I'll probably never be a fan of Tebow- and I still think what he's doing right now is ultimately unsustainable. But I'm riveted to this drama surrounding him just like everyone else.

What do you think, sirs?

Doors Unlocked and Open

2011-12-08T10:10:00.004-06:00

Playoff talk around the Seahawks has started up again, but almost everyone is very careful to declare upfront that there is almost no chance of Seattle actually reaching the postseason. In fact, it seems like it's almost a badge of "seriousness" to dismiss the Seahawks' playoff chances with an eye roll and a wanking motion.

But I'm not serious. I'm not realistic. I'm not rational. Not when it comes to the Seahawks. Hell, two years ago I wrote about how the 2009 team could still make the playoffs at 5-7. How fucking STUPID does that article look, in light of the MoraHawks subsequent "December of Surrender" that landed them at 5-11?

I understand how most normal human sports fans operate. Expecting the worst allows you to build up your mental defenses and inoculate yourself from the pain that every sports fan has to endure. It's the natural tendency of most fans to drift away when their team is bad, and let the currents of winning bring them back to shore. For a mentally healthy person, it makes sense to not get too emotionally invested in a team with a 7.2% chance of making the playoffs.

What I have learned over 28 years of being a Seahawks fan is that I am NOT sane or normal in any of the accepted meanings of those terms. I've learned that I'd much rather be seen as the hardest of the hard-core (who sucks at predicting the football future) than a steely-eyed "realist." I'd rather be foolishly loyal and optimistic than distant and cynical. I'd rather deal with the pain of dashed hopes (over and over and OVER again) than the gnawing sense that I abandoned the Seahawks when the going got too tough.

I know there are other fans whose ONLY measure of success is a Super Bowl victory. As much as I fervently dream about the day Seattle wins a Lombardi Trophy, it can't be the only reason I root for the Hawks- What kind of torture would that be? How desolate would it be to inhabit a world where nothing the Seahawks have done matters, because they've never won a World Championship? Yes, winning is tremendously important and the ultimate goal is to become champions- but I'm also interested in the journey... in the experiences and memories created in that quest to reach the pinnacle of the game, even when that quest fails.

My favorite Seahawks season was 2005, but right behind it is 1986... a year when the Seahawks didn't even make the playoffs! Despite falling short of postseason on the season's final Sunday, the Hawks gave us Twelves five weeks of football that are burned in our memories as much as Top Gun, Family Ties, Bill Buckner or Licensed to Ill.. Here's that season's highlight film:

I am still invested so heavily in part because of the small chance I might get to see something like 1986 again- I also feed off the knowledge that LESS THAN A YEAR AGO the Seahawks shanked all the naysayers with the biggest upset in NFL playoff history. Why can't they pull off another crazy, immortally awesome finish again?

Who is down here in this ocean of sound with me?

Patience, Seahawks... Climb the Ladder.

2011-12-05T21:16:00.004-06:00

After an almost unfathomably favorable Sunday of NFL results, the Seahawks are now two games out of the final NFC Wild Card spot with four games to play. Seattle's playoff probabilities have risen up to 6.5%, which doesn't sound high, but it's risen up from 1.3% just two weeks ago. The Seahawks wouldn't be MATHEMATICALLY eliminated by a single loss during this final month, but realistically Seattle needs to go 4-0 to keep their playoff hopes viable.

The best way to look at things now? The Seahawks are now playing in the "NFC WILD CARD DIVISION," and these are the current standings

Bears 7-5
Falcons 7-5
Lions 7-5
Giants 6-6
Seahawks 5-7
Cardinals 5-7

It's important to remember that the Seahawks only need to finish 2nd in this division to make the playoffs, NOT 1st. It's very plausible for the Seahawks to climb into 3rd in this division if they can beat the Rams and Bears over the next two weeks. Thanks to the magic of the ESPN Playoff Machine, we know that if the Seahawks end up in a multi-team tiebreaker at 9-7, they will almost certainly get into the postseason (based on having the best conference record).

There's another bit of drama going on too, though- Seattle will (thankfully) not be crappy enough to be in position to draft Andrew Luck or Matt Barkley (if he declares for the draft). That doesn't mean that we won't (or shouldn't) try to make a trade to acquire Barkley (I don't see the Colts parting with the #1 pick under any circumstances). Our best shot at completing a trade into the #2 slot to take Barkley? If the team picking 2nd is an non-divisional rival who very recently spent a 1st-rounder on a QB. Thus, it follows that we should root for the Minnesota Vikings (or the Jacksonville Jaguars) to "beat" the St. Louis Rams for the #2 pick in the draft.

With all this in mind, here's who you should be rooting for in next week's games, and why...

UNAMBIGUOUS GAMES

-Broncos over Bears: I'm not really digging having to root for Tebow, but if the Broncos cooperate here we can pull ahead of Chicago in the Wild Card Division with wins in our next two games. Get your Tebowing poses ready!

-Panthers over Falcons: Yes, Carolina is 4-8, but they are at home and they have played a number of quality teams very tough this season. If Cam Newton and the Panthers can pull off this upset, the Seahawks' playoff chances will spike unexpectedly.

-Buccaneers over Jaguars: Jacksonville could be a perfect Matt Barkley trade partner for the Seahawks- IF they end up holding the #2 pick in the draft. Root for a loss to Tampa this week.

-Packers over Raiders: Stick with me here- Green Bay plays Chicago and Detroit over the final two weekends. I believe that if they are still going for a perfect season, they will play to win. If not? After they have the #1 seed clinched, they might rest guys. Root for Rodgers and the Pack to go 16-0. Also, fuck the fucking Raiders.

AMBIGUOUS GAMES

-Vikings at Lions: On one hand, if the Vikings upset the Lions, that gives a big boost to Seattle's 2011 playoff chances. However, that would fuck up my little "Minnesota trades the #2 pick to us, then... BOOM! Matt Barkley!" plan. I prefer to look at this as being good news for us either way.

-Giants at Cowboys: Dallas winning would give them a big NFC East lead, and frankly we want the Cowboys to win this division- While Seattle wins the head-to-head tiebreaker with NYG, we lose it to Dallas. The Giants would fall to 6-7 and into a tie with Seattle after next Monday Night. One could argue that an NYG win could be good news too (both DAL and NYG would be 7-6), but I'll be rooting for the Cowboys to put away Big Blue Sunday Night.

-49ers at Cardinals: A Cardinals loss effectively eliminates them, but so would/will a loss to Seattle in week 17. A Cardinals win would push them further away from possibly holding the #2 pick (which they then wouldn't trade to the Seahawks). I'll be weakly rooting for the Niners, given that we can't win the West, and the sooner Arizona's hopes are dashed, the better.

What do you think, sirs? Am I missing anything big?

Seahawks 31, Eagles 14

2011-12-01T23:08:00.005-06:00

Every talking head on NFL Network's pre-game show picked Philadelphia to defeat the Seahawks tonight, obviously still high on "Dream Team" fumes and ignorant of the progress made by the league's youngest starting line-up in recent weeks.

If they had been paying attention, they would have seen that aside from a youth-induced spasm of 3rd-down breakdowns in the 4th quarter last week, these Seahawks have been crafting an identity as a physical, hard-hitting, punch-you-in-the-fuckin'-mouth crew. Marshawn Lynch's electrifying, punishing 1st-quarter touchdown set the tone- We were going to maul Philly, and they were going to crumble. Lynch gobbled up 148 yards and a shit-ton of Skittles in his best performance of the season so far.

Tarvaris Jackson held onto the ball a bit too long a few times, but he avoided turnovers and posted a QB rating of 137.0! Golden Tate hauled in a spectacular touchdown catch and continued the positive development we've seen lately- Tate has a chance to break through to the next level with the additional reps he'll see with Sidney Rice on IR. The offensive line continued its run of solid play, but now the concern is an injury to Russell Okung on a cheap-shot from Trent Cole in garbage time. What a pathetic mother fucker. But then again, the whole Philadelphia squad played like pathetic mother fuckers tonight.

Seattle's defense atoned (to some degree) for last week's 4th-quarter implosion by snatching four Vince Young interceptions, including David Hawthorne's victory-sealing pick-6. Kam Chancellor picked off Young on Philly's 1st snap, and Brandon Browner hauled in two more interceptions. It was an impressive display from the youngest secondary in football.

After the game was over, those same dismissive NFL Network bobbleheads were talking about how Seattle is the "best 5-7 team" in the league, and was heading in the right direction- At least they are correct about that, belatedly. Those losses to Cleveland and DC sting more than ever now, but it's stupid to dwell on that shit. Today the Seahawks' long-shot playoff dreams get to live another week, but more importantly the longer-term future of the franchise looks promising.

I believe in Pete Carroll and the team he is putting together- They'll win multiple games over the last month of this season, and might just jump up and take a huge bite out of the Bears or Niners. Enjoy the ascent, Twelves!

What do you think, sirs?

Top 5 (OK, the only 5): Seahawks Beat Eagles!

2011-11-29T11:22:00.011-06:00

The Seahawks must beat Philadelphia Thursday night to keep their slim playoff hopes alive, so I thought this would be a good time to look back at Seattle's previous five victories over the Eagles. Thankfully, all five were pretty awesome/memorable... Enjoy!

5. Seahawks 26, Eagles 14 (12/3/95)
The Hawks brought down the playoff-bound Eagles behind four Todd Peterson field goals and 93 yards on the ground from Chris Warren. Rick Mirer absorbed five sacks, but for once avoided turnovers and scampered for a rushing TD. Wow. Remember when we still had faint hopes of Mirer growing into a franchise QB? Historical sidenote? This one was a week before that EPIC comeback win at Mile High Stadium. Personal sidenote? I was having a little too much fun in the Fairhaven dorms at Western back then, so a lot of these mid-90s Seahawks games are kind of a big blue-and-green blur to me now...

4. Seahawks 24, Eagles 20 (11/23/86)
The Seahawks were 5-6 and losers of 5 of 6 (and 4 in a row) coming into this one against the 3-8 Eagles, who were led by rookie QB Randall Cunningham. The Hawks stole a win on the strength of three big plays: a 72-yard bomb from Dave Krieg to Daryl Turner, a blocked punt return for an Eric Lane TD, and a 75-yard punt return touchdown by Bobby Joe Edmonds. Seattle led 21-6 at the half and barely held onto to win... The most remarkable thing about this win? It was the start of the legendary stretch run of 1986. Hmm. Guess who is coming to town on Thursday as the Seahawks try to start another improbable late playoff push...

3. Seahawks 38 @ Eagles 0 (9/6/98)
If you didn't see this game, it's really difficult to understand the reaction of Seahawks fans at the time. The Hawks went cross country into that outhouse of a stadium called The Vet and DOMINATED the Eagles. In every phase of the game, the Seahawks looked Super Bowl Bound. Warren Moon tossed three TDs, Joey Galloway had 6 catches for 142 yards and 2 TDs, and we had a running back tandem of Ahman Green and Ricky Watters that looked unstoppable. The defense? They just posted three takeaways, nine sacks and a pick-six TD.

For one day, anything looked possible.

2. Seahawks 28 @ Eagles 24 (12/2/07)
In a game the Eagles had to win to keep their playoff hopes alive, the Seahawks went cross-country and snuffed Philly's season on a chilly Pennsylvania afternoon. Maurice Morris put the Seahawks up for good with a 45-yard touchdown dash in the 4th, but it took Lofa Tatupu's 3rd interception (just yards from Seattle's goal line) to finally seal an epic win in the final minute of play.

1. Seahawks 42 @ Eagles 0 (12/5/05)
The Seahawks were supposed to be exposed as West-Coast wusses on this Monday Night back in 2005... Noted caveman dipshit Mike Ditka picked Philly to win this one. Why? Because he didn't think a "dome team" could come out in the elements and win. Did it matter to Ditka that we hadn't played our home games in a dome for 6 years? Did he even KNOW? Of course not- Why bother to do your research on that weird bird team from South Alaska, right? Nobody gives a fuck about THEM.

The Hawks gave the whole NFL nation a forearm shiver right in the fuckin' chops that night- NFL MVP Shaun Alexander scored twice, but the big stories were Lofa Tatupu's trio of interceptions, and Seattle's triad of defensive TDs (2 by Lofa, and one by Andre Dyson). The Seahawks scored on their opening posession and never let Philly catch their breath in a smothering, dominating win.

We could use something like that Thursday night, boys. What do you think, sirs?

Redskins 23, Seahawks 17

2011-11-28T00:12:00.006-06:00

The formula was working. Things were going according to plan.

The Seahawks took a 17-7 lead early in the 4th quarter over an inferior foe, after spotting them a 7-0 lead... Just like the week before in St. Louis. The D was making stops, and Marshawn Lynch was violently assaulting the enemy defense. All the Seahawks needed to do in order to notch a 3rd straight win was hold off the feeble Redskins.

Unfortunately, the Redskins are not the Rams, and the Seahawks are not yet who I hope they can be. Seattle's defense uncharacteristically allowed two long DC TDs in the 4th- and suddenly trailing, our best offensive weapon (Marshawn Lynch) was rendered irrelevant. T-Jack couldn't lead a winning drive, and all realistic hope for the playoffs died on the Seahawks Stadium Field Turf.

The big story really isn't that blown 4th-quarter lead, though- Today the Seahawks were bedeviled by the same deficiencies we've seen all season:

-TOO. MANY. PENALTIES.
-Not enough pressure from our front four on the opposing QB
-Dropped passes
-A QB who can be admired for his toughness, but also has very clear limitations
-Did I mention the penalties?

I'm taking this one hard- I'm sure part of the reason is that I was at the game today, but this truly was a game we had in hand, and it was a victory that would have kept our foward momentum rolling and our playoff hopes alive. I could have handled our playoff hopes dying at the hands of the 49ers or the Bears- But the fucking Redskins? That's a self-inflicted wound, and it'll sting for a while... I mean, how am I supposed to accept fucking REX GROSSMAN coming into our house and beating us?

There's plenty of blame to spread around today- This truly was a loss by the entire Seahawks organization. I'm not here to spread a message of despair and doom, though. I still think our arrow is pointing up; This is a young team with a good amount of talent that needs to learn to be more consistent and more disciplined IMMEDIATELY.

It would be crazy to react to today's loss by declaring Thursday's dust-up with Philly a hopeless endeavor. The Eagles must come 3000 miles west on a short week, and they've shown absolutely ZERO mental toughness this season. A Seahawks team that has slayed the Giants and Ravens can surely best the Eagles. That's the big question, isn't it? Which version of the 2011 Seahawks will take the field Thursday evening?

The loss aside, it was great to be at Seahawks Stadium again with my brother James- I also got to meet fellow Twelve Mark Dickenson (@Seahawkeye on twitter), who came all the way from Melbourne, Australia to catch the Redskins and Eagles games.

C'mon, Seahawks- Send the dude home with a win. It's the least you can do.

What do you think, sirs?

"If You Think This is Over, Then You're Wrong"

2011-11-23T10:58:00.006-06:00

Later today I will get on a plane and fly west to see my family in the Tri-Cities and hopefully see my brother James and the Kamiakin Braves upset Bellevue in the Washington 3A State Semi-Finals Saturday... but I'm also going to the Seahawks game Sunday, which is suddenly way more than a battle between two losing teams going nowhere (at least to me).

I spent a lot of time growing up trying to figure out how middling Seahawks teams might be able to make the playoffs. What are the relevant tie-breakers? Who should we be rooting for? Rooting against? I remember doing a lot of that crap with pen and paper back in the dark ages of the 80s and 90s- Thankfully now we have the ESPN NFL Playoff Machine to fuel the insanity of pasty dorks like myself.

Long story short? The Seahawks have a very solid shot at the postseason IF they win the rest of their games and finish 10-6. Seattle CAN get in at 9-7, but would then need a lot more outside help- You should root for Dallas to win the NFC East because we lose the head-to-head tiebreaker with them but win that same tiebreaker with the New York Giants. You should also root for losses by Atlanta, Chicago, and Detroit. Because three of Seattle's losses were to AFC teams, the Seahawks would win most multiple-team tiebreakers based on conference record.

Even shorter version: If the Seahawks keep winning, their chance of making the playoffs will keep climbing up, up, up.

If you go to Cool Standings right now, it will tell you that the Seahawks have a 1.2% chance of making the playoffs. This is where most folks would insert their Dumb and Dumber "So you're saying there's a chance" jokes- Not me. I hate bringing this up as a Red Sox fan, but it's worth pointing out that the Tampa Bay Rays had a 1.3% chance of making the playoffs on September 7, 2011.

It's NOT hopeless- We still have a chance at this, particularly with our relatively soft upcoming schedule. The Seahawks have a meaningful game to play on Sunday, and I intend to scream myself voiceless trying to will us to victory over DC... For now, that's good enough for me.

What do you think, sirs?

Double Flashback: Two Seahawks Playoff Wins Over the Redskins

2011-11-21T19:50:00.003-06:00

Every once in a while, I'll reach back into the archives of my personal blog (which existed from 2002-2009 and more or less got killed by facebook, twitter and this blog) for classic posts about our Seahawks. This week is a great time to look back at the two victories among the top 10 in franchise history that came at the expense of the Washington Redskins: Our 20-10 2005 Divisional Playoff win and our 35-14 2007 Wild Card triumph... Enjoy!

January 14, 2006: Seahawks 20, Redskins 10

21 years of frustration… Gone.

I’m as giddy right now as Shaun was after Matt’s TD scamper in the 3rd quarter. What an amazing show of heart by the entire Seattle roster, overcoming the injury to Shaun Alexander and three giveaways to notch the win that sends us into the NFC title game (and sends me out west to scream my guts out at the biggest event in the history of Seattle sporting life)…

For me this was three hours on the verge of barfing all over my living room, but this team that I fell madly, rapturously in love with didn’t let me down. Matt threw no game-losing int, Bobby didn’t drop the game winning pass, Largent didn’t muff the hold on a key PAT, and Fredd Young didn’t have an interception waved off in OT… Instead, Matt made all the throws, Darrell Jackson had the game of his life (my god, D-Jack.. You are a fucking warrior. If I had a uterus I’d carry your baby a full nine…), and our O-line did just enough to let MoMo and Mack scratch out key yards. Above all, our underrated defense smothered the Skins like Nicholson in Cuckoo’s Nest. Special dap goes to the 67k who took the rain and made life even more miserable for DC’s offense…

Revel in this moment, everyone. Embrace this team and clutch them close to your heart, because we might not see another like them again. If you haven’t been a life-long fan, I offer amnesty from my taunts of bandwagonism at this point. Hop on for the ride, because we’re going all the way to Detroit!

Talk some shit to a Redskins fan (what will Mr. Tony DC dicklicker Kornheiser have to say on PTI Monday?)… Don’t concern yourself with the negatives right now. SA will be fine next week, and we’ll beat which ever team limps away from that Bears/Panthers bloodpisser tomorrow.

I have more celebrating to do, and I’ll be on a plane to Seattle Thursday morning!

Woo-Hooo!!!!

January 5, 2008: Seahawks 35, Redskins 14

If the Seahawks go on to XLII, we might look back and consider one of the MANY defensive stands Seattle made to be particularly important. After the brain-scrambling fuckup on DC’s kickoff immediately after the bad guys took an 14-13 lead, the whole squad seemed to be imploding… falling behind 21-13 midway through the 4th may have been the deathblow, but the defense clamped down and DC’s kicker shat away a 30 yarder. We all know what went down after that.

It’s getting to be an cliche, isn’t it? Seahawks get overlooked, disrespected, and dismissed. Seahawks host playoff game; opponents dismiss the impact of the 12th Man. The Qwest Field crowd is louder than a Boeing Dreamliner, a bunch of crazy shit happens, and in dramatic fashion the Seahawks emerge victorious (and the losers admit the crowd noise was a factor).

Goddamn that was fun! I have no voice left, and I still have a headache, but it was totally worth it. The crowd NEVER let up all day. It was an experience I’ve never had at a sporting event outside of Qwest Field (or maybe Sox/Yankees at Fenway).

Some highlights of the day at the game:

-So I buy a poncho and a stocking cap at the Pro Shop, then it barely rains and they HAND OUT bright green stocking caps as we enter the stadium. Fuck.

-No Redskins fans befouled our immediate seating area, but in a moment of human empathy I came to the defense of a DC fan out in the Hot Dog line at half-time by recounting MY experience as a visiting fan in Cleveland. That seemed to defuse the situation.

-Um, what is up with like three guys at once going into the family restrooms? It’s not like the lines don’t move quickly, you dumb drunk fucks. I don’t plan to bring Jack to a game at Qwest for a while, but if I had a little kid at the game and saw that nasty shit I’d be pissed.

-I think the only times that I’ve heard Qwest louder than during/after Tru’s pick 6 were A) The entire NFC Championship game in ‘05 and B) Romo dropping the ball last year. The stadium seemed alive at that moment… It was amazing to experience.

The airing of grievances:

Where are you guys all at? All of you who were sure that Sean Taylor’s ghost would smother the Seahawks with burgundy ectoplasm? All of you who put sooooooo much emphasis on the Seattle defense allowing 44 points in a meaningless game? All of you who thought “momentum” was so important? All of you who thought DC would have an emotional edge, as if Seattle had nothing to play for (hmmm.. maybe for themselves, for the fans, etc)?

I’m not hearing a peep from any of you.. I wonder why. If we lived in a just world, so-called “experts” who spout lazy psuedo-analysis like I heard all week would be banished from the journalistic profession. However, they still have jobs and are getting ready to completely dismiss the Seattle Seahawks yet again. Fucking Come-swabs. Jesus.

(By the way, I love our chances in Green Bay, but I’ll be talking more about that later in the week)

Finally, I ask Unsilent Majority of KSK fame: If the Seahawks are “ass-spelunkers,” what does that make the Redskins? Oh, that’s right: Sitting at home for the rest of the playoffs watching the Hawks.

What do you think, sirs?

Bonus stuff- pictures from my day at the 2007 Wild Card game

and, of course... This:

Seahawks 24, Rams 7

2011-11-20T20:29:00.003-06:00

"The NFL need to start fining QB's that throw the ball across my middle..." - Kam Chancellor on Twitter after today's game

It's easy to discount Seattle's 24-7 win at St. Louis today- I don't deny that the Rams are a franchise in free-fall right now, and Sam Bradford is regressing at such a rapid rate that comparisons to Rick Mirer become more apt with every passing week. You could also point out that bad, even GOD-AWFUL Seahawks teams (*cough" 2009 *cough*) in recent history have gone into that Dome and won games.

But they didn't win the WAY Seattle won today- and THAT'S why this win is significant and encouraging in addition to being absolutely essential. How many recent Seahawks teams would have imploded after T-Jack's two early (and ugly) interceptions? Would they have not only come back to win, but choked the opposition into complete submission? That's what your Seahawks did today, Twelves. Yes, there were still too many penalties... and yes, Tarvaris Jackson held the ball too long and took too many hits.

After giving up an early TD following a T-Jack pick which set STL up deep in Seattle territory, the Seahawks SNUFFED the Rams' offense. Chris Clemons, Red Bryant, Kam Chancellor and Richard Sherman were the most obvious stand-outs, but the entire defensive unit smothered any signs of life out of St. Louis' attack. It was an absolute joy to watch them work today.

For the 3rd week in a row, the Seahawks' offense maintained their commitment to the ground game- and it paid off more and more as the game progressed. I LOVED watching the Holmgren Hawks win with precision, and succeed by outsmarting and outscheming the enemy- but if the Seahawks are creating an identity as a mentally tough team that can overcome mistakes/adversity and physically abuse/dominate their opponents? That'd be pretty fucking sweet.

Tarvaris Jackson didn't have a great game, but he threw a Real-Genius-worthy frozen lazer to Sidney Rice for our first touchdown. He also deserves praise for settling down after those awful early picks and playing competently (again) with what is surely a painful injury. Jackson's toughness/leadership isn't enough by itself to stave off the drafting of our QB of the future next spring, but it's good enough for now. Leon Washington also had a standout performance, nearly breaking a couple of punt returns for TDs and setting the Seahawks up with good field position repeatedly.

It was satisfying beyond belief to hear "Sea-HAWKS" chants echoing through the Costco Warehouse the Rams call home late in the 4th quarter- It's even MORE satisfying to reflect on the sorry state of our divisional rivals, to whom many prematurely handed the NFC West title before the 2011 season began. How many thought that last year's week 17 loss at Seahawks Stadium was just a speed bump on STL's journey towards divisional dominance? What if that 7-9 mark was THEIR peak? It's a LONG road to the top for the Rams- a far longer and tougher journey than the one facing our young, hungry, vicious Seahawks.

Even against fairly pathetic opposition, beating a divisional rival in their building by 3 scores is a great step forward for a very young Seahawks team. Now we come home for three games against teams with losing records (including an MNF rematch with the forlorn Rams in three weeks), and 7-6 feels very plausible- Realistically, the Seahawks probably need to win out to steal an NFC Wild Card spot. I'll grant that it's probably too early to seriously think about that- But if we can beat these three fairly bad teams at home, THEN it will be somewhat less than bugfuck insane to legitimately think we have a shot at the post-season.

I'll be up in section 325 next Sunday, watching and wailing as we wallop DC. Sexy Rexy and his minions have NO chance. How awesome is it to feel hope, Twelves? Not just for the future, but hope (however faint) for THIS season?

I'm going to enjoy this ride until it ends, and I feel bad for those too wrapped up in next year's draft position to do likewise.

What do you think, sirs?

Top 10: Seahawks Beat Rams! (UPDATED)

2011-11-17T11:24:00.007-06:00

Want to know why I still intensely hate the Rams, even though we've beaten them 11 out of the last 12 times we've played them? Go read my account of the 2004 season if you're fuzzy on your history in this rivalry....

Back? Awesome! Today I thought we'd take a look back at our 10 most glorious victories over those Midwestern jokers- I'll be honest and admit this is kinda like a clip show, since I did this as a Top 5 over on Field Gulls last year... But it's still over 50% new material- Enjoy!

10. 12/22/91 Seahawks 23, Rams 9
This game is notable because A) it was our only win EVER over the Los Angeles Rams and B) it was the final game in the Seattle careers of Chuck Knox and Dave Krieg. Yup. After the final whistle that day 20 years ago, we entered a decade of torment and desperation.

James R. Jones scored two touchdowns for us that day, and the ONLY reason I know that is from looking it up on Pro Football Reference 5 seconds ago.

9. 9/13/09 Seahawks 28, Rams 0
The first day of the Jim Mora era, and also its high point. I got to meet John Carlson's parents before the game, and Julius Jones inexplicably ran for 117 yards. Never have the high hopes created by an opening day win been later proven so VERY false. Ugh. At least I took a LOT of pictures that day...

8. 12/22/02 Seahawks 30, Rams 10
My first trip to a game at Seahawks Stadium! Woo!

Hmmm... That's about all I remember about that game.

7. 11/27/07 Seahawks 24 @ Rams 19
This one makes the list mostly because I was at the game... It was a triple barf-bucket kind of day that left me slumped in exhaustion after Gus Freotte’s fumble on 4th and Goal from the 1-yard line FINALLY sealed a Seattle victory in the waning seconds. The Seahawks showed mental toughness clawing back to win after falling behind 19-7, but otherwise this wasn't a glorious highlight of the 2007 campaign.

The experience of watching a game at St. Louis' Dome was pleasant, but a bit boring. The fans rarely did more than clap politely, and the arena itself had the atmosphere of a comfortable, brand new Costco Warehouse rather than an NFL stadium. The stadium was only about 75% full, and most of those folks left with over 5 minutes left in the game. On the plus side, no one gave my brother, my step-dad, or I any crap the whole day, and more than one person congratulated me on the Seahawks’ win after the final gun.

6. 11/12/06 Seahawks 24, Rams 22
The Rams could have tied Seattle for the division lead at 5-4 with a win in this one, and midway through the 4th things looked bleak. The Seahawks hadn't scored since before halftime, were trailing 16-14 and playing like Night of the Living Dead-type zombies. After Nate Burleson's electrifying 90 yard punt return, the Hawks took the lead and started playing like 28 Days Later-type zombies... Rage Virus! Grrrrr!

I was at Seahawks Stadium that day, and the Twelve Army erupted like a mob of fucking Uruk-Hai after Burleson scored. Still, the Rams scored later to retake the lead, and Seneca Wallace had to lead us into position for the winning score... Spoiler alert: Since it was 2006, the game ended with Josh Brown nailing a field goal for a Seahawks win.

5. 9/21/03 Seahawks 24, Rams 23
Early in the 2003 season, Seattle was itching to prove they were a true playoff contender, and the mighty Rams visited what was still OFFICIALLY called Seahawks Stadium. The Hawks were behind 23-10 as the final quarter began, but then sprung to life like Uma Thurman getting a shot of adrenaline and stole a dramatic 24-23 win with a Hass-to-KRob TD in the final seconds.

We happened to be hosting an "end of summer" yard sale that day, and I'm pretty sure I scared business off with the various otherworldly shrieks I emitted throughout the afternoon.

4. 11/13/05 Seahawks 31, Rams 16
Shaun Alexander ran wild in the cold November rain and the Rams were rightly fustigated. But for me, just seeing the game involved some serious drama. In the academic racket, you gotta go where the jobs are, and a lot of those jobs are in places you don't really want to be. Coming out of grad school, beggars can't be choosy though. You're lucky to get INTERVIEWS, let alone jobs, so you jump at any potential offer of gainful employment. I snagged an interview at a school in the "Witness Protection" region of Nebraska, and while my pregnant wife wasn't very psyched about the idea, it beat not having a job. One big problem: they wanted me to fly in on a Sunday. During football season. Fuck.

I'm not a complete peanuthead... I wasn't about to turn down the interview. But there was no goddamn way I was going to miss a Seahawks game, particularly one against the Rams. I made sure that I booked the earliest flight possible on Sunday. I pored over NFL TV coverage maps on The 506. I called the TV station in the town I was headed for to make SURE they would be airing the Seahawks game. I got a couple of my friends to text me updates on my cell phone until I got in front of a TV, and I packed my Hasselbeck jersey.

When we got to the hotel, I told my handlers that I needed to "unwind after that flight." They told me to meet them in the lobby at 6 pm local time for dinner, so I turned the game on just as the Hawks snuffed STL's harebrained fake FG attempt. I paced around that room for two hours, enduring a late comeback spasm by the Rams and nervously watching the clock... Imagine a guy in a shirt and tie, dress pants, dress shoes, with a Hasselbeck jersey on top of that... My plan was to strip off the jersey and head to dinner as soon as victory was assured, and jusssst in time SA galloped for six to lock down the win.

In a VERY good mood, I might have had one beer too many at dinner that night... and the next day during the interview, I probably blew it when I described my classroom style as "talk show host." The happy ending is that I'm not exiled to the forbidden zone of Nebraska, furthest from the bright center of the galaxy... and that the Seahawks won.

3. 10/09/05 Seahawks 37 @ Rams 31
After the psyche-crushing 2004 season, breaking the Rams' psychological dominance was the first real order of business the following year. In the Mike Martz's final game as the smuggest, smarmiest coach in NFL history, the Hawks ran out to a 34-21 lead. Up 37-31 late, the Hawks had to punt to Shawn McDonald (who delivered the killing stroke in OT at Qwest the previous October). Deliciously, Big Play Babs forced McDonald to fumble, and JP Darche recovered. Martz's coaching career ended, and the Rams' mental edge over the Hawks dulled into a useless butterknife of futility.

2. 10/15/06 Seahawks 30 @ Rams 28
At the time, I was stuck in a very remote corner of Ohio doing a 1-year teaching gig. The nearest outpost of modern civilization, a Target store, was 30 minutes away. This game is my single happiest memory of that year that doesn't involve my wife or son... It was one of the most exciting finishes in Seahawks history; The Hawks fought back from a 21-7 halftime deficit to take a late 27-21 lead. After a Mo Morris fumble deep in STL territory, Torry Holt made a ridiculous TD catch that looked like the death blow. Down by a point, Hasselbeck marched the Hawks into Rams territory. An illegal procedure flag was misinterpreted by Scott Linehan as a foul that included a 10-second, game-ending clock runoff. The jabbering dipstick was wrong, and left slack-jawed after Josh Brown nailed the 54-yard game winner at the final gun.

1. 1/2/11 Seahawks 16, Rams 6
It was fashionable for the national media to crap on this game between a 7-8 and 6-9 teams that would decide the NFC West title. It was damn near conventional wisdom among Seahawks "fans" that the team would be better off losing the game and getting a higher draft pick than going to the playoffs only to get bludgeoned to death by a superior team.

53 players, their coaches and 67,000 screaming Twelves didn't give a FUCK about any of that shit. Charlie Whitehurst etched his name into Seahawks history by leading Seattle to a win over the prematurely anointed Rams- He hit Ruvell Martin for a huge gain on the opening drive, which he closed by connecting with Mike Williams for what would ultimately be the deciding touchdown. As I wrote back then...

CW got a huge assist from Seattle's maligned offensive line and defense- The O-line largely kept Whitehurst clean, and FINALLY generated some push for Lynch, Forsett, and Washington. Defensively, the Hawks crashed The Sam Bradford Coronation Party, spiked the punch, smashed the ice sculptures, and ate all the bacon-wrapped shrimp. Steven Jackson was held to 45 yards rushing, and the only points STL could muster were two field goals by The Traitor Josh Brown.

You could argue that this game by itself was fairly unremarkable- But it WAS the Seahawks first victory in a "win and in" situation since 1988, and it set the stage for this:

What do you think, sirs? Did I miss any awesome memories of whomping on the Rams?

Seahawks 22, Ravens 17

2011-11-13T20:35:00.003-06:00

The table of Ravens fans sitting behind me at Buffalo Wild Wings must have felt very confident (My Sunday Ticket app crapped out today... Long story). Their Super Bowl-contending team had just scored to pull within 22-17 with 5 and half minutes left. With a quick 3-and-out by the lowly Seahawks offense, the Ravens would have plenty of time to drive back down the field for the winning touchdown... and Baltimore boasted the NFL's best defense, anchored by luminaries like Ray Lewis, Ed Reed and Terrell Suggs. Only a fool would bet on the likes of Tarvaris Jackson, Golden Tate and Marshawn Lynch against such an elite unit.

Thus a young Seahawks offense entered a crucible- Hold the ball and move the chains, and you beat one of the NFL's best teams. Wilt under the pressure, and you fall to 2-7. As Adam Savage says on Mythbusters, "Failure is ALWAYS an option." But in this case, another failure would confirm the doubts of every jabbering talk radio buffoon calling for Pete Carroll's dismissal. Could the Seahawks show their quality? Could they show that, yes, they WERE making progress?

Golden Tate, in relief of Doug Baldwin, made a key catch to keep the drive alive. Marshawn Lynch did likewise later in the possession by juking Ray Lewis out of his fuckin' cleats. Finally, Lynch pounded his way deep into Baltimore territory- proving himself tougher and more resilient than the revered Ravens D, at least on one Seattle afternoon. John Harbaugh helped the Seahawks out with a foolish time-out-wasting challenge, and the Ravens fans sitting behind me filed out silently.. defeated. I left a few moments later, beaming with pride- before howling "SEAHAWWWWWWKS!" into the Ohio night.

What an amazing win! Yes, the Seahawks benefited from multiple Baltimore errors. Yes, they need to cut down on the penalties and turn those Red Zone field goals into touchdowns... But they went face-to-face with one of the league's toughest, most intimidating teams, and the result wasn't "Rocky." It wasn't a moral victory. It was Rocky II-IV. The Ravens were Clubber Lang and Ivan Drago rolled into one- The bully that bloodies and bruises the good guy, but still goes down for the fuckin' count in the end.

The young offensive line did a decent job protecting Tarvaris Jackson from a ferocious Baltimore pass rush, and they did an even better job grinding out yards and time on the ground. They were tough, but not even as tough as Seattle's defense, which applied vicious brutality to the Ravens' offensive squad. They should name their new bruises "Chancellor, Thomas, Browner, Sherman, and HEATER!"

Pete Carroll and the entire staff did an excellent job this week, but I want to give special recognition to Darrell Bevell and Tom Cable- They stuck with the ground game just like they did last week, and the payoff was that epic, game-clinching, Baltimore-snuffing drive today. The Seahawks might just be creating an identity- One of a very tough, hard-nosed, we-will-leave-you-pissing-blood crew. Make no mistake- a HUGE part of that identity is BEAST MODE. Marshawn Lynch isn't a perfect running back, but he might just be the perfect back for this Seahawks team and the way they want to play offense. He was sensational today.

Now the Seahawks enter a stretch of four games against last-place teams with losing records (and three of them are at home). It's probably nuts to start thinking playoffs again, but not as nuts as that notion might have been Sunday morning. It's enough for me that SOME hope is still alive- and we've beaten two of the NFL's elite teams over the last month and a half, and to me that's a great sign of progress.

Go beat the Rams, boys- Keep this flame flickering for one more week, please.

What do you think, sirs?

The Workings of a Delusional Mind

2011-11-11T13:03:00.005-06:00

The Seahawks are 2-6. They're facing a legitimate Super Bowl contender on Sunday. In terms of public opinion in the football world I'm as much a "1 Percenter" as Paul Allen, because I actually think that Seattle will win this game.

That shouldn't surprise anyone who reads this blog- But today I'd like to write a bit about HOW I convince myself the Seahawks will win a game, even when no one else feels that way, including the vast majority of other Seattle fans.

For me, it's not enough to have BLIND faith. I have to actually work quite hard to give myself enough evidence to hang my delusional, false hopes upon. I know that many, if not most other fans react to a season like the Seahawks are having so far by withdrawing or actively rooting for losses so the Holy Grail of a higher draft pick is secured. I can't do any of that- and I don't mean that I don't WANT to do that- I literally mean that I can't do it.

I've been a Seahawks fan for 28 years, and a very intense one at that. That fandom has become such an integral part of my personality that I don't know who I'd be without it. I wear some article of Seahawks clothing almost every day- That aint normal for a 36-year-old man. I haven't missed a game since 1983, and I maintain a blog about a team that has a long history of mediocrity so overwhelming that they are more of an afterthought to the NFL nation than any team that is simply, directly, BAD. These are not the actions of a normal, well-adjusted human being. They are driven by obsession, compulsion and fanaticism.

Over the years, I've come to see myself as an extension of the Seahawks organization (thus my frequent references to being an ambassador or missionary for the Twelve Army out here in Ohio) and I've come to see the Seahawks as an extension of myself. This means that any insult, any derogatory thing I hear or see about the team, is taken as a direct personal affront.

What does this all mean? It means that if I admit the Seahawks suck (even when they do), I'm also kind of saying that I suck. It means that if I start treating the Seahawks like they are hopeless, I'm admitting that I'm hopeless as well. So in a week like this one, I don't start off thinking "The Seahawks are probably going to lose- but perhaps there is evidence that they have a chance." I start by thinking "How can I convince myself that the Seahawks will win next week?"

This week in particular my delusional hopes spring from the following sources:

-We're at home! Yay!
-We're the "donut hole" for Baltimore between huge divisional games against the Steelers and Bengals, and they also have to fly cross-country.
-Baltimore has stumbled badly on the road against Tennessee and Jacksonville, and is a pedestrian 2-2 on the road overall this season. They also needed a crazy, implausible comeback to defeat the lowly Arizona Cardinals, and that was at home.
-Tarvaris Jackson is starting at Quarterback, which at least gives us a fighting chance- With Whitehurst under center even I'd have a hard time convincing myself we have a shot.
-We played the playoff-contending Falcons tough at home, and beat the Super-Bowl-contending Giants on the road. The Seahawks have shown SOME ability to hang with elite teams.

I know for a fact that everyone outside the Twelve Army would read that and reply with a dismissive hand wave and "pffft." Shit, they might even give me the old "eye-roll teamed with a wanking motion" move. MOST Seahawks fans probably feel the same way. But I just can't let it go. I've got FAR too much emotionally and intellectually invested in this team to do what a normal human would: Back away from a hopeless football team and do something more constructive on Sundays.

In addition to all that, My twisted, diseased mind can convince itself that maybe, JUST MAYBE the Seahawks can get into a the playoff hunt again IF THEY CAN JUST SQUEAK BY BALTIMORE! We'd be 3-6, but with four upcoming games against 3 teams with a combined record of 7-17 (STLx2, DC, PHI)! Hell, we could be 7-6 before heading to a pivotal game against fellow wild-card contender Chicago!

Even I think that sounds fucking insane, but I can't stop thinking it- because it allows me to build up Sunday's game into something with more meaning and drama than "well, let's just see if the Seahawks can make some progress." It's not just a glorified preseason game anymore- It's a death struggle.

How I feel about the Seahawks is linked to how I feel about myself. When I feel the Seahawks are misunderstood, dismissed, disrespected, and generally shat upon, it resonates because I feel like that is the way the world treats me- I'm an outcast who roots for an outcast team.

Dear readers, I never told you that your author is the picture of tip-top mental health- How I think about, how I write about, and how I react to the Seahawks is hopelessly tangled up in my own insecurities, neuroses, hopes and fears... and all those things say to me:

Seahawks 16, Ravens 15

What do you think, sirs?

Cowboys 23, Seahawks 13

2011-11-07T11:08:00.003-06:00

The Seahawks let another winnable game slip away yesterday, and with that loss all realistic hope for a return to the playoffs evaporated. The good things Seattle did (protecting Tarvaris Jackson, establishing a solid ground game, excellent red zone defense) were overwhelmed by a clattering brood of mistakes: Penalties, poor decision-making (particularly from T-Jack), and an offense that seemed to melt as it grew closer to the heat of the enemy's end zone.

The main problems remain on offense and special teams, which are both far from the level of consistent execution needed to win games. To my untrained eye, the defense looks like it might be wearing down, despite maintaining a high level of intensity. It shouldn't be surprising to see this, coming from the youngest roster in the NFL- But it's still disappointing.

Tarvaris Jackson made some nice throws, but he also missed some wide-open targets and snuffed out any chance of victory with an inexcusable 2nd-half interception. I love his toughness and his ability to give the offense SOME spark of life- He's the starter for the duration of this season, but if he can't go, I would prefer to see Josh Portis get a look. Giving ANY snaps to Charlie Whitehurst at this point would be a spectacular waste of time.

Marshawn Lynch had his best game since last year's playoffs, and his rabid intensity was a welcome sight (as was the effort displayed by Doug Baldwin, who did indeed win that jump ball in the 4th quarter, no matter what the officials said). While I'd still like to see us draft a running back, I'd also support bringing back Lynch on a short, market-value deal. As the offensive line improves, so should Lynch's production.

So where do we stand now? We face perhaps the best team in the AFC next week, but the good news is Baltimore's trip to Seattle is the "donut hole" between brutal divisional games against Pittsburgh and Cincinnati. The Ravens might be vulnerable after their emotional Sunday Night win over the Steelers, and the Seahawks can still be dangerous at home.

What pisses me off are those who would argue that the rest of this season is "meaningless." First, any time you face an elite team like Baltimore, it's a chance for the team to learn and grow, even if we don't get a victorious result. Secondly, the last 8 games represent a tremendous opportunity for these young Seahawks to gain the experience that could make 2012 WAY more fun than 2011. It's worth remembering that a young Seahawks team started 2002 at 2-6 before rallying to a respectable 7-9 final record... and that was a springboard towards the "Holmgren Golden Age" of the mid-00s. The '11 Hawks can do likewise, with four very winnable games against DC, Arizona, and two against the Rams- add an upset win (perhaps over the Niners?) and you get to 7-9.

Yes, I know many will say "Why root for wins? Losses will bring a higher draft pick!" My position on this is well-known, but here's another angle: Another thing that bothers me about that point of view is the disengagement it represents. Underlying that perspective is "These losses hurt. I'd rather protect myself by lessening MY investment in the team- and I can play it off by saying that rooting for losses is good for the long-term."

I can't abide that. Pete Carroll is busting his ass trying to figure out how to beat Baltimore. Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor will be hitting the weight room. Tarvaris Jackson will probably have to play through pain that I couldn't possibly endure. If these games matter to them, they matter to me. The least I can do, if I am going to call myself a Twelve, is support the men that are going out there every week wearing our colors and putting their bodies and reputations on the line. To do any less, frankly, is cowardice.

I've been a Twelve for 28 years. This season has hurt, but I will get through it- Standing by my team and rooting for them to rise up and take a piece out of the enemy every week. I will be in the stands on November 27 watching us stomp DC, and I will be as loud as ever, regardless of Seattle's record.

What do you think, sirs?

5 Things You Didn't Know (Or Might Have Forgotten) About "The Romo Game"

2011-11-03T20:36:00.006-05:00

As the Seahawks head to Dallas to take on the Cowboys this Sunday, I thought it would be fun to look back at one of the most blissful moments in franchise history: Our 21-20 win over Dallas in the 2006 NFC Wild Card game.. You know, the one where this happened:

I rank that game as the 4th greatest victory in Seahawks history, after the 2005 NFC Championship, the 2010 Wild Card win over New Orleans, and the 1983 Divisional Playoff win over Miami. Conversely, unless Tony Romo ever leads the Cowboys to the Super Bowl (and he won't), that botched snap will remain the defining moment of his NFL career. That play has been covered ad nauseum, so I wanted to look at five additional things you may have forgotten (or didn't know) about that glorious day.

5. SI.com had a "Dewey Defeats Truman" Moment
This was briefly posted on the main page for SI.com, presumably before the actual field goal attempt:

That headline should have been extra embarrassing for Sports Illustrated, for reasons I'll outline in a little bit...

4. Jerramy Stevens: Hero!
Yes, Stevens is rightly remembered as a worthless fucking turd and an embarrassment to our proud franchise- but for one day, he was absolutely essential to Seattle's eventual victory. Stevens led all receivers that day with five receptions, and scored both Seattle touchdowns, including the go-ahead score late in the 4th. Great job, ya bastad!

3. Kelly Jennings: Hero!
Few players in Seahawks history have been derided as much as Jennings, but we don't win without the play he made midway through the final quarter. After the Seahawks failed to score on 4th and goal, on the ensuing play Jennings forced a Terry Glenn fumble- that led to a safety that pulled Seattle within 20-15 and gave Hasselbeck and the offense the ball back with an opportunity to score the go-ahead TD.

2. Some Dude We Pulled Off the Street Shut Down T.O.
Future Hall-of-Famer Terrell Owens' stat line that day? Two catches for 26 yards and a fumble. Who was covering him most of that game? Pete Hunter... Some dude that was working as a loan officer before his phone rang with a job offer from Seattle days before the playoffs began. After the playoff loss at Chicago the next week, Hunter went back to playing in the Arena league and then the CFL... But for one day he helped shut down T.O. with Seattle's season on the line.

1. Gramatica's FG wouldn't have won the game, and Romo's fumble didn't lose it for Dallas.
Even if Dallas had converted that FG attempt, the Seahawks would have had over a minute to get into range for a game-winner off the foot of Josh Brown, who had already won FOUR games in 2006 with last-second kicks (why do you think I bought that little shitbird's jersey?).

After the Seahawks got the ball back, Dallas still had timeouts remaining. If they had held Seattle to a 3-and-out, they would have gotten the ball back in good field position with time to get back into field goal range. Seattle's victory wasn't sealed until Shaun Alexander tore off a 22-yard dash to eat up almost all of the time remaining.

I was lucky enough to be at that game- Anyone else care to share their memories of that wonderful January evening?

Bengals 34, Seahawks 12

2011-10-31T10:45:00.003-05:00

In a game that was far closer than the lopsided final score indicated, the Seahawks blew numerous opportunities to defeat a tough Bengals team at home yesterday. The game displayed all of the important qualities of the Seattle Seahawks right now- Both the good and the bad. First... Ugh... The Bad:

-Pete Carroll's Bizarre Decisions
I love Pete Carroll, and I truly believe he is going to lead us to a Super bowl victory someday- But man, did he make some weird decisions yesterday. First there was the decision to hold out an obviously healthy Tarvaris Jackson in favor of Charlie Whitehurst. Then, after it was clear Beef Supreme wasn't playing much better than he had in Cleveland, PC threw T-Jack out there. Jackson was solid, and racked up 300+ yards through the air. However, that leads to this question: If T-Jack was healthy enough to play, why didn't he start? Given the quick TD he led us to in NY, it stands to reason Jackson might have led the offense more effectively in the 1st quarter yesterday than CW did. A productive offensive 1st quarter behind Jackson might have resulted in a victory.

Then there was the debacle at the end of the 1st half- Instead of taking three points, Carroll went for it on 4th down and 2 from the Bengals 3. Even if you agree that going for it was the right call (I don't), the way PC went about it was.. odd. First, he burned our last time out- Which meant that a running play that didn't get into the end zone almost certainly would result in time running out and NO points. What did we do then? We called a running play... that didn't get into the end zone and resulted in no points. The technical term for that entire sequence? A clusterfuck.

It was far too early in the game to go for it out of desperation- A FG would have pulled Seattle to within 17-6, and made the second half play out differently for sure. Beyond that, the decision-making after the decision to go for it was flawed. Carroll owned up to this in the post-game press conference, but it's still troubling. Just like the players, PC needs to be held accountable for his mistakes. Just like the players, PC needs to exercise greater self-discipline.

-Lack of focus and discipline
Yesterday we saw WAY too many dropped passes, penalties, and special teams breakdowns. The good news is that all of those problems are fixable, and to a great extent they are the products of youth and inexperience- But right now this isn't a team that can win games while fucking up that badly and that often.

-The Running Game
Yes, the offensive line is basically still in diapers (so to speak)... but this team cannot win games with a non-existent ground attack. I still think we have a stable of good running backs, but given how young the team is at almost every other position, I'd expect a youth movement in the offensive backfield after this season concludes.

Enough of that negative shit- What was good?

-The Defense and the Twelve Army
Seattle's defense is clearly the best unit the team puts out on the field these days. After allowing 17 points in the 1st half, they tightened up and held Cincy's offense to a lone field goal. They also ramped up the pressure on Andy Dalton and forced him into throwing two interceptions. They didn't play a perfect game by any means, but they did give the offense every opportunity to win the game. The crowd also did its part- I could tell on the CBS broadcast that it was very loud at Seahawks Stadium, and in the 2nd half the Bengals offense looked to be rattled. It's just a damn shame we couldn't capitalize on that.

-Tarvaris Jackson
T-Jack came off the bench and once again showed his quality. Not only is the guy a tough motherfucker, but he once again demonstrated that he's the only actual NFL QB on Seattle's roster. The offense is far from perfect with T-Jack under center, but at least it shows some life- and some ability to move the ball down the field. Our ONLY chance to be competitive over the final 9 games is with Tarvaris Jackson at quarterback. He's well on his way to EXCEEDING my "play as well as 1999 Jon Kitna" standard in 2011.

-Offensive Weaponry
The dropped passes REALLY bugged me, but overall I love the weapons we can now roll out in the passing game: Rice, Baldwin, Obo, and Miller are all dangerous as receivers, and I still think BMW can do some serious damage once he gets healthy and builds a rapport with T-Jack.

So where do we stand? It's easier to profess doom and gloom, but there's still way more to like about the direction of the Seahawks than there is to hate. The playoffs seem like a dim possibility, but the fact is that we are only 2 games out of the final NFC Wild Card slot- If they can beat a very vulnerable Dallas team next Sunday, their post-season dreams will survive at least one more week. For now, that's enough for me- I'm not yet ready to go into "let's just hope we see the team show progress" mode. This is a young, but talented team that can rise up and string some wins together... but they need to play (and coach) smart, disciplined football starting NOW, or they are headed for a finish more 1980 than 1990.

What do you think, sirs?

Yup. I'm Still Pissed.

2011-10-27T10:42:00.004-05:00

It's pretty irrational for me to still be personally angry at Charlie Whitehurst over his performance on Sunday- But then again, it's pretty irrational to be so emotionally invested in what a fairly random collection of handsomely paid athletes do on a weekly basis thousands of miles away... So off we go again.

I can't shake a deep feeling of disdain and disgust towards Charlie Whitehurst right now, and that's based in a deeply-held conviction that the other 52 Seahawks, all the coaches, and even myself all gave our maximum levels of effort last Sunday. Maybe it's all just appearance and perception, but I don't feel like Whitehurst was adequately invested in or prepared for the game in Cleveland. His approach has always seems pretty lackadaisical, but on Sunday the kid seemed damn-near narcoleptic.

Now you may say that isn't relevant, or you might say that Shaun Alexander infuriated you in the same way- But there's a fairly big difference: Alexander, for whatever his flaws, PRODUCED. Yes, Charlie Whitehurst has performed adequately enough for Seattle to win a couple of games with him at QB- but to say that he has produced commensurate to what we gave up to get him, or to argue that he still deserves any consideration as Seattle's starting QB- is laughable. I truly believe that he has no future as an NFL QB after this season.

It's well-known that I've never been a Whitehurst fan, and I'll admit that part of my anger comes from these simple facts: If he makes ONE fucking play on Sunday, the Seahawks win- and instead of dealing with a gauntlet of smug Cleveland fuck-os, or with a mouth-breathing Dallas fan asking me IF I CRIED after the game (GRRRR), I'd be basking in the afterglow of victory and our team would be 3-3.

For at least one more week, however, I MIGHT have to psyche myself into rooting for Whitehurst again in the event Tarvaris Jackson cannot play. The good news is that at home in Seahawks Stadium he is unlikely to play as badly as he did at Cleveland, and if he simply avoids turnovers Seattle can probably scratch out a victory via dominance on defense and special teams... but I'd be way happier if I never saw Beef Supreme take another snap in a Seahawks uniform.

If CW plays on Sunday, he'll undoubtably have rough moments. At those moments, he might get booed- I don't think Seahawks fans should EVER boo their team, but if anyone who was chanting "CHAR-LIE!" a few weeks ago turns around and boos the poor schmuck now, I would love to tar and feather those stupid motherfuckers.

What do you think, sirs?

Browns 6, Seahawks 3

2011-10-24T10:09:00.005-05:00

A brief set of pictures from the game

Aside from the horrible, boring, shitty loss I had a great time at the game- Let's get the ugliness out of the way first...

Charlie Whitehurst is getting hammered from all angles right now, so I really don't want to pile on- He stepped up last year against the Rams and got us a divisional title. He will always be able to say he was instrumental in putting that banner in the Seahawks Stadium rafters... But the simple truth is that he should never be given the opportunity to start another NFL game. He was THAT bad yesterday. I typically bemoan the types of fans who pin losses completely on a single player, but make no mistake: If Whitehurst delivers anything better than one of the worst QB performances in franchise history, the Seahawks would be 3-3 today.

Aside from his abysmal stat line, Whitehurst consistently failed to throw to open receivers, failed to hit wide open receivers with passes they could convert into points (from the stands I noticed Sidney Rice's frustrated reactions over and over), and repeatedly held onto the ball too long. Whitehurst was set up to succeed yesterday against a mediocre Cleveland team, but he was unfocused and timid. He simply is not an NFL starting quarterback. Tarvaris Jackson may not be a GREAT starting QB, but he has shown that he can lead an NFL team. Whitehurst has not, and he should only be allowed on the field from here on if the Seahawks have NO other options. Yes, I mean that if Jackson can't go, I'd rather see what we have in Josh Portis. CW is gone after this year, and maybe gone from the NFL. I love PCJS, but trading a 3rd for Whitehurst is probably their worst personnel misstep so far.

Besides the disheartening season-ending injury to Walter Thurmond, the other big story (again) was terrible officiating. This time the main offender was noted attention whore Mike Carey, who threw a befuddling roughing the passer flag on a Seattle sack of Colt McCoy, and erased a Leon Washington touchdown with one of the most ticky-tack block-in-the-back calls of all time. Apparently even Jim Mora was ranting about how terrible that call was on the Fox NFL broadcast.

You also made me look like a total dipwad, Mike Carey- During Leon's punt return I lost my GOD DAMN MIND. I was jumping and screaming like I was on fire, celebrating what looked like Seattle's winning touchdown- Then all the fucksticks around me got the satisfaction of pointing out the laundry on the field. Thanks, asshole.

Good stuff? The defense was spectacular- I can't fault them for allowing nothing but two 53-yard field goals, and they are creating an identity as a hard-hitting, extremely violent crew. Thurmond's injury is terrible news, but not necessarily crippling for this young, developing defense. Special teams also deserve recognition for two blocked field goals, Washington's nullified TD, and for keeping Joshua Cribbs in check all day.

It also turned out that sitting in the No Alcohol/Family Section was a BRILLIANT move. There were lots of empty seats, and lots of little kids around. As long as I didn't curse, I was golden. The strategy was vindicated after Washington's TD got called back, when a dude yelled at me "If we weren't in the family section I'd kick your ass." Well, yeah... but here we are, moron.

I should take a second to be a snob about the in-stadium experience. It didn't come anywhere close to the exciting atmosphere we have at Seahawks Stadium. Stuff like raising the 12th Man Flag or fireworks during the introductions may seem cheesy to some folks, but it makes a HUGE difference in creating a fun experience for fans. They do exactly JACK SHIT in Cleveland. The attitude seems to be: "here's a football game: take it or leave it, schmucks."

The stadium was probably about 80% full, and the only times any real efforts were made to make noise to impede the Seahawks offense were on 3rd downs... Even then, it was like soothing white noise compared to the 747-taking-off wall of decibels at Seahawks Stadium. We are VERY lucky to have the amazing in-game atmosphere and home-field advantage the Seahawks enjoy in Seattle.

The Awesome stuff? I got to weasel my way down to the Seahawks tunnel, and the Hawks seemed way more interested in coming over and talking to us fans in Cleveland than they seem to be back at home games. I don't blame them- I want them focused and ready for battle... but it really seemed to excite them to see so many Seahawks fans come out to support them. I got to shake hands with and monosyllabic-ally talk at Sidney Rice and Pete Carroll, but the COOLEST moment was when Earl Thomas noticed I was wearing his jersey. His eyes lit up, he ran over and gave me an ENTHUSIASTIC handshake (almost to the point of hurting me). I was just overwhelmed by the experience. Seriously, if you are a Seahawks fan, find a way to get down to the tunnel during warm-ups... It can be mind-blowing.

I hesitate to talk about this, because it seems so masturbatory and self-congratulating, but I was extremely humbled to meet so many fans of this blog at the game. There was the couple from Toronto that I hung out with for a good 45 minutes before the gates opened, the fellow Twelve who hooked me up with Sunday Ticket last season, the husband of the woman I ran into at the Toledo Zoo on Friday, and a few others (I'm hesitant to name names, because I don't know if these people want the extra exposure). My apologies to the nice lady who was yelling at me from across the Seahawks tunnel before the game- It took me forever to realize she was talking to me, and then even longer to realize she was a fan of the blog. I must have looked like a complete idiot... Sorry! Your support means a lot to me, everyone. I'd do this even if no one was reading, but knowing that there are people out there who enjoy reading my thoughts about the Seahawks is deeply satisfying and encouraging.

Don't despair about the loss, Twelves. We are only one game in the loss column out of the last NFC Wild Card slot, and once T-Jack is healthy I truly believe we can start going on a tear through our schedule. This team is still on an upward trajectory, despite yesterday's craptacular shit-fest.

What do you think, sirs? Does anyone else who was at the game have a tale to tell?

Defend My Honor, Seahawks!

2011-10-19T13:02:00.002-05:00

Let me say this up front: I LIKE Ohio. I came out here for graduate school over a decade ago, and I've settled here permanently. The people here are generally warm and friendly, and Columbus in particular is an awesome, fun, underrated city. Ohio has produced awesome bands like Guided By Voices, Devo and Afghan Whigs, American heroes like John Glenn & Neil Armstrong, and many bearded US Presidents. Our NHL team isn't very good, but at least they celebrate Ohio's proud Civil War history (from the side that wasn't, you know, fighting for treason and slavery).

So yeah, I dig Ohio- Just not Ohio's football fans. In this space over the years I've talked numerous times about how Ohio fans (mainly those of the Buckeyes and Browns) are passionate, but not exactly gracious or well-informed- and that they have a mean, nasty streak that is slightly horrifying.

In an odd scheduling quirk, our games against Ohio's NFL teams are back-to-back over the next two Sundays- Given the absolute MOUNTAIN of crap I have put up with as a Seahawks fan out here, and given that I'm going to the game on Sunday in Cleveland, I NEED the Seahawks to end up 4-3 11 days from now. I've put myself on the line for the Seahawks as a lone voice of support out here in the wilderness. I've been wearing Seahawks gear to class all week, and I know I have plenty of students who would love to rub my face in a Seattle defeat either (or both) of the next two Mondays.

I'm excited about the game Sunday, but also a bit nervous- I know Browns fans, and right now they are a SURLY bunch. They're pissed about how their season is going (and who could blame them?), and I'm afraid things could get ugly if the Seahawks start kicking the shit out of their Brownies. Mainly, I could have that ugliness directed AT ME. I've been to games in Cleveland twice before, and both days were profanity-filled marathons of insults and crap being thrown at me. They won't treat me much better if the Browns win, plus I'd be depressed, so obviously I'd rather deal with angry, defeated Cleveland fans. I'm hoping that sitting in a "No Alcohol" section will lead to more comity between myself and the woofing hordes, but by no means am I banking on that... Shit, I had LITTLE KIDS giving me the finger last time I went to a game there.

Browns fans are more numerous (and aggravating) than Bengals fans out here, but after the 4-2 start and the Carson Palmer trade the Cincy fans are a bit full of themselves- Beating us on the road would ramp that all the way up to "insufferable."

It's us against Ohio, Seahawks- Let's show these Buckeyes how we play (and cheer about) football in the Great Northwest.

PLEASE win. For fuck's sake, PLEASE win.

What do you think, sirs? Anyone else going to the game this Sunday?

Closing the Book on the Holmgren Era

2011-10-18T11:16:00.003-05:00

With the move sending Marcus Trufant to IR (and almost certainly ending his tenure with the Seahawks), and with Seattle preparing to meet the Browns on Sunday, now is a perfect time to take a look back at Mike Holmgren's Seahawks legacy.

Trufant was the last really significant Holmgren-era contributor left on the Seattle roster (with the possible exception of Leroy Hill)- With his departure, an era defined by "The Big Show" is clearly confined to our memories, and to history. Let's look at some of the raw numbers...

In ten years coaching the Seahawks, the team went 90-80 under Holmgren (including the playoffs). In addition to the only Super Bowl appearance in franchise history, on Holmgren's watch the Hawks accumulated 5 of their 7 divisonal titles, 6 of their 11 playoff appearances, and 4 of their 8 playoff victories. At the moment, he is CLEARLY the greatest coach in team history, and a lock for the Ring of Honor and the Pro Football Hall of Fame- If not for the incompetence of Leavy and Company, he'd probably be the only head coach in NFL history to lead two different teams to Super Bowl victories.

Outside of the Pacific Northwest, Holmgren is remembered for his time with the Packers, but he actually coached (and won) more games with Seattle. In addition, while he's unquestionably the #1 coach in Seahawks history, he's at best #2 behind Lombardi in Packers lore (and might fall to 3rd by the time Mike McCarthy retires). Without his successful run in Seattle, Holmgren wouldn't be the sure-fire Hall-of-Famer he is today.

Holmgren and Walter Jones are the two Seahawks from this era that seem bound for Canton eventually- Hasselbeck, Alexander, Strong, Trufant and Tatupu will probably all join them in the Seahawks Ring of Honor someday as well (and probably in that order). Coach Holmgren's legacy is one of success on the field and class, charity and grace off of it- Nothing he does in Cleveland (or anywhere else) can tarnish that legacy. He didn't just win in Seattle- If such a thing is possible, he won the "right" way.

Holmgren was less successful in Seattle as a GM/Coach than as strictly the Head Coach, and while I wish him luck in reviving the moribund Browns, that sentiment is on hold until next week. Even though I'm sure he'd love to see Cleveland blow the Hawks out of the building, if I got the chance this Sunday I would personally thank him for the joy he brought to my life over a decade leading my Seahawks- As every Twelve should if they ever get the opportunity.

Wild Card, Bitches!

2011-10-13T11:14:00.003-05:00

One of the few things putting a bit of a damper on the Seahawks' bye week is the fact that the Niners are 4-1. Given recent history, it's understandable to think that if the Niners don't stop winning soon, the Seattle's playoff chances are kaput no matter how many wins the Hawks string together. Of course we should all root for the 49ers to start losing (getting beaten down in Detroit Sunday would be a nice start), but even if they don't, the Seahawks' playoff hopes won't die any time soon.

Seattle hasn't qualified for the post-season as a Wild Card team since 2003, and the NFC West hasn't sent multiple teams to the playoffs since 2004, but this is starting to look like a year where the Hawks have more than one path to post-season play. At 2-3, Seattle is only one game out of the final playoff spot in the NFC. In terms of possible tiebreakers, they've lost to Atlanta and beaten NYG- Coming up they will play a TON of other possible Wild Card competitors including Dallas, DC, and Chicago (honestly, I think Philly will be left for dead by the time we get a shot at them).

If you look across the conference, the Packers, Lions, Saints and Niners look like good bets to take four of the six playoff spots, which leaves the Seahawks to (realistically) fight with Dallas, DC, NYG, TB, ATL, and Chicago for the last Wild Card slot (One NFC East team will get in by winning that division). So what do Seahawks fans want to root for (besides a shit-ton of Seattle wins and SF losses)?

1. Root for Green Bay and Detroit to rampage like Sterling Archer with Breast Cancer
Seattle doesn't play either team, so both of them whomping on the rest of their NFC opposition is good for us- Ideally, we'd see them both go something like 14-2 and 13-3, locking down the 1st and 5th seeds in the NFC.

2. Root for Seattle to finish one game ahead of Atlanta and Tampa Bay
We lose the head-to-head tiebreaker with the Falcons, and we don't play the Bucs this season. It would help us out immeasurably if, say, both teams finished 8-8 while the Hawks got to 9-7.

3. When NFC teams play AFC teams, root for the AFC team (yes, even the fucking Steelers)
One way Seattle can gain an advantage over their Wild Card competition is to win inter-conference games while they lose those same games on their schedules. It's highly unlikely for an AFC team beating an NFC team to hurt the Seahawks (unless we get down to weird tiebreakers like strength of victory, etc)- Almost always, NFC teams losing will help us (even if they are losing to the god damned Steelers).

Right now, the final NFC Wild Card team is only 1 game over .500 (3-2), so at this point it appears that 10-6 will get you in the playoffs (either as a division champ or a wild card)- 9-7 MIGHT get the Hawks in as that 6th seed, but the tiebreakers would have to break Seattle's way.

Imagine this- The Niners win the NFC West, but draw 13-3 Detroit in the first round of the playoffs... While Seattle gets to travel to Dallas, DC, or New York (hopefully after already beating all three teams in the regular season). Being the 6th seed doesn't look too bad then, does it (not to mention the fact that 3 of the last 6 Super Bowl Champions qualified for postseason as a 6th seed)?

So yes, it would be great if the Niners started losing- But if they don't it's far from The End of All Things.

What do you think, sirs?

Seahawks 36, Giants 25

2011-10-09T19:33:00.006-05:00

(Photo from @rodmarphoto)

I spend too much time writing rough drafts of blog posts in my head, and even though I publicly picked the Seahawks to win this week, I spent a lot of time mentally composing what I'd write if Seattle lost at the New Meadowlands.

"At 1-4, the Seahawks playoff hopes appear to be dead- But that doesn't mean that we can't salvage value out of the final 11 games of the season. 8-8 is still an important and reachable goal- It would be great to avoid a 4th consecutive losing season, and show measurable progress from 2010 (even if that progress doesn't include another trip to the playoffs). I still think this season feels a lot more like 2002 than 1992- The beginnings of a glorious ascent, rather than a spirit-shredding lost season."

(Imaginary paper crumpling)

Fuck all that, obviously...

With a stunning 36-25 victory, the Seahawks overcame the 10 A.M. East Coast Thing and defeated the Giants in New Jersey for the first time since 1983 (a crucial win for THAT season's playoff hopes as well). They overcame a hostile crowd, a talented NFC East opponent, and multiple key injuries. The winning touchdown drive was led by a much-maligned back-up Quarterback who THREW that winning TD to an undrafted free agent who is making a strong case to be the NFC Offensive Rookie of the Year.

More than all that, Seattle overcame DECADES of "Same old Seahawks" mental conditioning- How many Seahawks teams have played well on the road in a first half, only to squander multiple opportunities to put a vulnerable foe away, and wilt in a 2nd half? How many times have we seen a miracle play like that Victor Cruz TD catch early in the 4th break the will of previous Seahawks teams? I am sure MILLIONS of Seahawks fans thought at that point: "Well, game over- Guess the football gods just hate us."

We found out today that when it comes to the "football gods," these Seahawks are Richard Dawkins-level Atheists. They are playing football unbound to expectations, unchained from history. Pete Carroll has torn down the crumbling edifice that was rotting when he arrived, and now we can start to see what he is building in its place: Something beautiful and fearsome- Something designed to endure and excel.

Nothing the Giants threw at the Hawks broke their fighting spirit, and that is the BIGGEST culture shift we've seen since Carroll's arrival. T-Jack gets injured? Whitehurst wobbles, but eventually leads the team to victory (but no, he shouldn't start unless Jackson is unable to play due to injury). Eli Manning throws for 420 yards? The defense neutralizes that by forcing him into FOUR turnovers. Marshawn Lynch fumbles in the red zone? He bounces back with a TD and 98 yards on only 12 carries. We are seeing this team take developmental LEAPS every week, and it's a delirious joy to behold.

At 2-3, the Seahawks are where I thought they would need to be back in August to still have a shot at the playoffs going into their bye week. Surprisingly, they have a better shot at an NFC Wild Card spot than an NFC West title (at the moment, at least). In two weeks they should emerge as a healthier group, and now one with the growing confidence that comes with battle-tested success. I wouldn't want to be ANY of the teams playing Seattle after the bye, because we might just be on the verge of marauding through a meaty chunk of our upcoming schedule.

Your Seahawks aren't just "rebuilding," my fellow Twelves- Right now, TODAY, they are a dangerous team learning how to be lethal. Enjoy this, my friends. Enjoy it.

UPDATE- Forgot about this one... Anthony Carvalho posted this on his twitter account- A photo from a Sports Book in Las Vegas:

I say we OWN this- EMBRACE this! These Seahawks are, indeed, NO JOKE. Spread that word, Twelves!

See You in Cleveland

2011-10-07T21:40:00.003-05:00

Section 542, Row 23: That's where I'll be sitting in Cleveland Browns Stadium when the Seahawks put the boots to Mike Holmgren's current employees on October 23. This will be my 3rd trip to see the Hawks in Cleveland- I got to see a boring 9-6 win (with a dramatic finish) in 2001, and an exciting 33-30 OT loss in 2007. I'll take the boring win over the exciting loss 100 times out of 100. Those were also the top two games in terms of the most abuse I've ever absorbed as a visiting fan- Most Cleveland fans, at least when they are at that Stadium and get some booze in them, are NASTY, vile fuckers. To other Seattle fans who might be headed there for the first time, be prepared: You WILL take profane verbal abuse for 3+ hours, and you will probably get shit thrown at you as well. For some unfathomable reason, in my experience Browns fans are inexplicably, openly hostile towards the Seahawks...

On a certain level, it makes sense: No NFL fan base has more pent-up frustration than Browns backers. They live in the only NFL city that has never hosted OR played in a Super Bowl. In the 1990s their team was stolen from them, and then replaced with an expansion doppelganger franchise that has had exactly one playoff appearance and two winning seasons since their birth in 1999. They are basically the Houston Texans North, but wrapped in an ancient franchise's clothes and lacking the Texans' current level of talent. So yeah, I get why they are surly, even if that doesn't excuse their boorish behavior.

Remember this well, though: NO Browns fan has ANY excuse to feel superior to a Seahawks fan. First of all, I'm not going to let any Browns fan try to lord their "history" or "tradition" over me- THAT team is in Baltimore now (and won a Super Bowl after leaving Cleveland). Like I said, they root for an expansion team cross-dressing in those old Browns' unis. Even if I was inclined to allow a Dawg Pounder to count the Old Browns, guess what? They weren't for shit either. Unless you are 47 or older, the Browns haven't won jack fucking squat IN YOUR LIFETIME (which also means you'd have to be eligible for the AARP to REMEMBER that last Browns World Championship). Our weird little South Alaskan franchise has been more successful than the Browns, at least since black folks have been able to vote.

I'm going to the game solo, which is a bit scary, but I've done it before... I also got a ticket in a Family/No Alcohol section, and I'm hoping that will increase my chances of surviving the game intact. I will TRY to defuse situations by pointing out our common affinity for Mike Holmgren and raw visceral hatred for the Steelers... but I doubt that will sway the type of folks that chanted "asshole" at me both times I went to Hawks games by the Lake before.

What do you think, sirs? Anyone else heading to this one?

Bleed With Tarvaris

2011-10-04T14:00:00.003-05:00

"You have bled with Wallace, now bleed with me." - Robert the Bruce, Braveheart

Seahawks fans have historically provided REAMS of evidence for the notion that "the most popular player on a team is the back-up quarterback." As a kid, I remember a constant drumbeat among Twelves that short, small-handed, inconsistent Dave Krieg needed to be replaced. Revisionist history aside, Matt Hasselbeck heard plenty of boos from the Seahawks Stadium crowd in 2001 and near the end of his Seattle career. The people that screamed from the mountaintops for Trent Dilfer to start gave way to those howling for Seneca Wallace and then Charlie Whitehurst to replace Hasselbeck.

If the two best QBs in franchise history got treated like that, it shouldn't be a surprise that Tarvaris Jackson is getting treated like absolute garbage by legions of Seahawks fans right now. I can't really pretend to understand why at this point.

The simple truth is that Tarvaris Jackson, barring injury or absolute implosion, will be Seattle's starting quarterback the rest of this season and most (if not all) of next season. Pete Carroll will not want to start his prized rookie QB unless he absolutely has to, which means the T-Jack era will probably last two full seasons. Particularly after last Sunday's performance, there is NO reason to think that Charlie Whitehurst is a better option than Jackson at QB. So why is Tarvaris still treated with such disdain by so many fans?

Shouldn't we embrace this kid? Isn't this a classic underdog story? This is a guy who didn't even play major college football, who survived four years of being jerked around by Brad Childress, and is by all accounts a leader in the Seahawks locker room. He's displayed toughness on the field, absorbing brutal punishment and showing his mettle by diving for the end zone to score the decisive touchdown against Arizona two weeks ago. He's never been involved in anything nefarious off-the-field, and looks to be about as close to a model citizen as you'd find in the NFL. So why do so many fans boo him and chant for him to be replaced by a mediocrity like Charlie Whitehurst?

When we acquired Jackson, I said that I'd consider him a success if he matched or exceeded the performance of Jon Kitna in 1999. At the quarter-pole of the season, he's doing just that: Kitna's 1999 QB rating was 77.7, while Jackson's through four games is 80.0. Hell, Jackson is so far outperforming every Matt Hasselbeck season since 2007. He isn't the QB of the future, but as he showed us last week he can be the QB who keeps us competitive until The Savior arrives (particularly if he is given decent pass protection).

I'm still flummoxed with the hostility directed at the man- Matt Hasselbeck isn't walking back into that locker room. For the rest of this season, our choices are Jackson, Whitehurst or Josh Portis, and there is no rational basis to think that either of our other two QBs would magically outperform Tarvaris. So why is the first impulse of so many fans to childishly boo him rather than support him?

We knew what we were getting with Tarvaris Jackson, and now it looks like he might just be able to pull off what he was hired to achieve: provide Seattle with a competent, cheap QB to bridge the gap between Matt Hasselbeck and the Glorious Franchise Quarterback we will draft next Spring.

So why the fuck are so many fans still shitting all over him?

Falcons 30, Seahawks 28

2011-10-02T19:31:00.003-05:00

Every Seahawks loss is a gut punch to me- But I bounce back quicker from certain losses, and my emotions evolved from crushing disappointment to hopeful optimism within minutes after Hauschka's 61-yard attempt fell short. Why am I going to go through the next week without the usual fog of despair that typically overcomes me after a Seahawks loss?

1. They fought.
Yes, the Seahawks need to start NOT putting themselves in these huge holes at half-time- But Pete Carroll's attitude has rubbed off on this team: At no point did you get the feeling those guys stopped giving less than 100% effort. Sometimes they win, a lot of times they lose, but these Seahawks are building a reputation for fighting for a full 60 minutes every week.

2. Tarvaris Jackson
I said in the pre-season that for the Seahawks to succeed in 2011, Jackson had to perform as well or better than 1999 Jon Kitna. Today he exceeded those expectations for the first time, and if he can keep it up the Seahawks still have a great shot at stealing another NFC West crown (even after a 1-3 start). Particularly in the 2nd half, he looked like -GASP- an above-average NFL QB... and he snuffed any whiff of a QB controversy, at least for the next month or so.

If you STILL think Whitehurst should start, you just don't like Tarvaris Jackson. It's that simple.

3. Doug Baldwin and Sidney Rice
The undrafted free agent made big catches and took even bigger hits today- He's going to have an important role in this offense going forward. Sidney Rice made a couple of regrettable mistakes, but Seattle's offense is a completely different, far more dangerous entity when he is on the field. That kid is going to be worth every penny of the millions we are paying him.

4. The Offensive Line
We didn't even really TRY running the ball much today, but in pass protection this extremely young and inexperienced unit took a HUGE step forward. Jackson wasn't sacked, and was barely touched all day- allowing him to show his quality when kept "clean."

5. Still, the Defense
Yes, they allowed 30 points- but only a pair of field goals in the 2nd half. They gave us every chance to come back and win the game. My big concern? The continuing lack of takeaways from the D.

Seattle has a tough (but winnable) game at NYG next week. Even if we hit the bye at 1-4, we return with games we SHOULD win against the NFL's relatively weak Ohio clubs. I still see 7 VERY plausible wins on Seattle's remaining schedule (@CLE, CIN, @STL, DC, STL, SF, @AZ), and games like the ones at Dallas and against Philly at home don't seem nearly as daunting as they did just a few hours ago.

Every loss is terrible, but today's defeat shows the forward momentum Pete Carroll is generating for this franchise. VERY soon, games like today's will be victories rather than defeats, and vindication will be ours.

What do you think, sirs?

Bronzed!

2011-10-01T10:04:00.005-05:00

Over on the Ultimate Seahawks Fan blog, there was a contest to decide the top 5 Seahawks blogs on the internet- And this humble site came in a very respectable 3rd.

I want to thank all the readers out there who have supported this thing- From those who have been following along since I started back in January 2008, to new readers who might be here for the first time. I would still do this if no one was reading (I have to), but knowing that there are like-minded people out there who enjoy reading my stuff and (sometimes) agree with my point of view is unbelievably gratifying.

I started this blog mainly out of anger and frustration. I used to contribute regularly on a Seahawks message board, but was kicked off for what I thought was a trifling offense. Once I got over my hurt feelings... OK, I DIDN'T get over my hurt feelings- I just channeled them into "I'll show those fuckers! I'll start my own Seahawks blog!" Thus, Dave Krieg's Strike Beard was born.

I was very fortunate to catch the attention of John Morgan over at Field Gulls in the blog's early days. Morgan liked my stuff, prominently linked me on his much more popular blog, and even allowed me to contribute content on FG until he left for greener pastures.

This blog was born as an outlet for my Seahawks passion and for my desire to write regularly- Thankfully, from spending 28 years closely, obsessively following this team I've built up a reservoir of knowledge and experience that others have found useful and interesting. I'm 36 now, but I'm still that 11-year-old back in the Tri-Cities defending my Seahawks from schoolyard taunts and insults during recess. On a DEEP level, I take criticism of the Seahawks as PERSONAL criticism, so I have always venomously attacked those who attack the Seahawks. This blog is an extension of that impulse- I am fortunate to be intelligent and knowledgeable enough to skillfully destroy your typical knee-jerk Seahawk hater, and that is something I never tire of doing.

Just this past week a student of mine went "PFFT" when he realized I liked the Seahawks. I asked him why he reacted like that, and replied "because they're terrible." I asked him what team HE liked and he said "Cowboys."

Then I LAUNCHED into this exaggerated, childish pantomime of Tony Romo dropping the snap in the 2006 Wild Card game, which made him reply "that kinda pisses me off." I simply said "well, it kinda pisses me off when you tell me my team is terrible."

Professional? Um, no. But THAT'S how much I love this team.

I see my role in the Twelve Army as part Seahawks Historian, part Seahawks Propagandist. That has a negative connotation (for obvious reasons), but in this context I think it's something we need- I won't just make shit up about the Seahawks, but I will take all the information available and give it the biggest pro-Seattle spin I possibly can. We are the fans of a team consistently treated with neglect, ignorance and hostility by outsiders- We also have to deal with having a cancerous fifth column of negative, defeatist, cynical "fans" in our midst. So yeah, I feel like part of my job is boosting the morale of the Twelve Army to something above a suicidal level.

The great thing now is that we have this vibrant, healthy, growing community of Seahawks bloggers- They're ALL over there in the blog roll, but I want to give special recognition to Hawkblogger, Field Gulls, and Seahawks Draft Blog. Those are the ones I read most frequently, and worry the most about differentiating myself from. In addition to the all blogs, we also have such a great horde of Seahawks fans on twitter- That has really enhanced MY experience as a Seahawks blogger and fan more than anything over the last year or so.

I'm going to keep doing this indefinitely- It's turned out to be a big enhancement to MY overall experience as a Seahawks fan, and I hope some of y'all feel the same way about this little blog. Thank you for reading, and spread the word.

What do you think, sirs?

Wanna buy my Falcons tickets?

2011-09-30T09:40:00.003-05:00

My little brother can't make it to this Sunday's game, so I'm looking to sell my Seahawks v Falcons tickets- The above picture is the view from my seats in section 325. The face value of the pair is $86, but I'll be honest: I'll probably take the first semi-respectable offer from someone that can pay via PayPal.

If we can reach agreement on price, I will email you the tickets for you to print out on your end once I receive payment. If you have questions you can leave them as comments here, or email me at dksb17 @ gmail dot com.

Proceeds will go to the "DKSB buying tickets to the Seahawks game in Cleveland October 23" fund.

Seahawks 13, Cardinals 10

2011-09-27T18:29:00.007-05:00

My weekend trip out west to see family, friends and the Seahawks got off to a rough start at the Flint, MI airport. Here's what the TSA guy said when he saw my Seahawks cap:

"Seahawks? PFFT. Why the hell did you guys sign Tarvaris?"

So it began- I tried to explain the reasoning behind the move while taking off my shoes and getting out my ziplock baggie of various liquids, but he wasn't really buying it. Then were the acquaintances at my friend's birthday party in Seattle Saturday night, who were unanimously incredulous when I told them the Seahawks would beat the Cardinals. The pessimism about the Seahawks is a national pandemic- from casual observers thousands of miles away to the very nerve-center of the Twelve Army.

There was a lone hopeful event that boosted my spirits, however- Given that my only Seahawks jersey was a Matt Hasselbeck model, I needed to get a new one on my visit out to Seattle. I decided that I would take advantage of the deal being offered at the Seahawks Stadium Pro Shop: Turn in any old Seahawks jersey and get 25% off a new one. For me, that meant I'd have to part with my #8, and give up the dream that I'd wear it someday to his Ring of Honor ceremony. It was a sad thing to contemplate, but given that I'm not exactly flush with cash right now, it seemed like a necessary sacrifice.

That was until my close friend Katie stepped in and said (as I remember it) "No way. You LOVED Hasselbeck, and I remember you defending him when I was crapping all over him- You explained to me what he meant to this team- There's no way I'm letting you trade that in."

She offered up her own old Julius Jones jersey, and I ended up getting my SWEET new Earl Thomas jersey at a discounted price. She also reminded me that blind optimism is pretty much my best quality as a Seahawks fan- Her gesture re-energized me for Sunday's game.

I showed up in my "I'm Calling it Seahawks Stadium" t-shirt (which got dozens of reactions from people- every one positive and many asking how they could get one) with my little brother James (Who KICKED ASS for Kamiakin in their HUGE 14-6 win over arch-rival Kennewick), ready to use every decibel I could muster to help drag the Seahawks to victory.

I've been to 18 games at Seahawks Stadium, and by far this was the SURLIEST crowd I've ever been a part of. The "Char-Lie!" chants started up in my part of the stadium with Jackson's first incompletion, and just intensified with every subsequent sack or missed target. A dude in front of me tried to start an "Andrew Luck" chant, but thankfully that didn't catch on. Amazingly, boos cascaded down upon the Seahawks as they left the field at half-time, down by a whopping four points.

Here's what I don't get: It's universally "known" that this is a VERY young team in rebuilding mode. Why, for the love of fuck, would you BOO them? I'd never boo the Seahawks, but I can sorta see booing a team like the 2009s, who just fucking gave up with a month left in the season. These guys are playing hard and learning tough lessons- They are kids on the uptick, not a veteran-laden group laying down on the job. My point? Don't boo your own fuckin' team, assholes!

Strangely, when the offense starting moving the ball in the second half, and Jackson sacrificed his body to put the Seahawks in front with a gritty TD scramble, there were no "T-Jack" chants. Look, I know the guy is never going to be a Pro Bowler, and if he craps out badly the next two weeks, it's probably Beef Supreme time after the bye... But Seahawks fans should at least give the dude credit for his toughness and leadership ability, and I still think he can lead us to an NFC West title if the O-line improves and Sidney Rice can stay healthy.

The big story was Seattle's rapidly developing defense, led by fierce young safeties Thomas and Kam Chancellor. The Hawks already have the best defense in the NFC West, and sooner rather than later could have one of the best defensive units in the NFL (and "sooner" might be later THIS season). Thomas and Chancellor set the tone from the start with controlled, vicious brutality, and the rest of the D is following their lead- Be excited, Twelves... You have a great young defense.

Despite the "Char-Lie" chants and the boos, the Twelve Army still rained intolerable noise upon the Arizona Cardinals, and I can forgive a lot of transgressions by fellow fans if they are still punishing opposing offenses like that- In the end, we all got to go home happy, and our team is still very much alive in a weak NFC West.

Seriously- Tell me why we CAN'T repeat as division champs. We will improve as the season goes on... Hell, we might even beat a staggering Atlanta squad this Sunday. No one else in the division is going to run away with this- as I said before, I STILL expect the Seahawks to be alive in the NFC West race going into those final two against SF and AZ. Eight wins WILL be enough to win the West for sure, and seven might just do it again.

Know hope, Twelves- Not just for 2012 and beyond, but for next week and next month. We can rebuild AND win.

What do you think, sirs?

A Brief Word From Your Author

2011-09-23T18:47:00.003-05:00

One of the secrets of good blogging? Differentiation. No one wants to go somewhere and read the same groupthink pieces they can see anywhere else. People want to see original content from a unique point of view (at least, that's what I tell myself to justify the continuing existence of this blog). With this principle in mind, I'm letting everyone know this right now: I won't be talking about the 2012 draft until the 2011 season is over- and I don't mean "over" in terms of mathematical elimination or some sort of conventional wisdom that "it's over."

I mean the earliest you will see me talk about the 2012 draft on this blog is after time runs out on the last Seahawks game of the 2011 season. You can go to dozens of other places online and see speculation about where the Seahawks might draft and who they might select- There is nothing I can add to this discussion other than angry spittle and vitriol, so I am disengaging from it (I reserve the right to go on the occassional twitter rampage on this topic, but I am not going to rehash it over and over on these pages).

So if you want to read about and discuss the 2011 season as it is happening, you'll get a LOT of that here- If you want to talk about how we should "Suck for Luck" or other such drivel, I will kindly ask you to take it elsewhere.

Keep an eye over on the ol' twitter account this Sunday- I will be tweeting live from Seahawks Stadium before, during and after our glorious victory over the Arizona Cardinals.

What do you think, sirs?

Terribly Sorry to Trouble You, But...

2011-09-20T16:39:00.002-05:00

...if you enjoy this blog, could you mosey over to the Ultimate Seahawks Fan Blog and vote for me in the Top 5 Seahawks Blogs contest?

Thank you kindly.

Tomorrow Doesn't Have to be Like Yesterday

2011-09-19T14:46:00.007-05:00

The Seahawks sucked Sunday. If you want to read about that game, here's a great breakdown of it. The Seahawks are 0-2. Things are bad.

That DOESN'T mean that the Seahawks are the worst team in the NFL, or that they are going to go 0-16, or that Pete Carroll should be fired, or that the team should pack its bags and join the former Sonics in Oklahoma. It means simply that the Seahawks have dropped two road games and looked pretty terrible in the process. Seattle fans SHOULD be concerned, and we should be looking at Sunday's home opener against Arizona as an absolute must-win game (and be accordingly ear-splittingly loud).

What bothers me (OK, pisses me off) are the legions of Seahawks fans who are instantly assuming that these two games are absolutely representative of how the team will play this season- An unalterable, immutable fact- Like water being wet or your skeleton being inside your body. When faced with an outsider or the national football press stating "the Seahawks suck," they don't jump up and go "Fuck you!" They meekly slump their shoulders and mumble "yeah, I guess so."

Yes, the Seahawks are off to a bad start- But NO NFC West team has won a road game yet, and unless the Niners can win at Cincinnati next Sunday, a win over Arizona will move the Seahawks into a tie for 1st place in the division. That would hardly be a hopeless, forlorn position for us to be in a week from now.

Here's a bigger, perhaps unbridgeable, philosophical divide between myself and a LOT of other Seahawks fans- Remember that Simpsons episode where they went camping and Homer, Bart, Ned and his kids end up lost at sea? Homer is all negative and fatalistic, while Flanders tries to keep everyone's morale up. When a point comes where Homer's pessimism seems to be proven right, he yells: "You see, Bart? Your old man was right! We ARE doomed! In your face, Flanders!!!" I feel like a lot of Seahawks fans, after TWO WEEKS, have already retreated into this dank cone of destitute despair, and I don't get that at all- As long as the team still has a pulse, I HAVE TO believe they have a chance. What are you going to say to that? "Fuck you, DKSB! We ARE doomed!" Bully for you, I guess?

And they DO still have a chance to win this division. In franchise history, the team has started 0-2 twelve times in 16-game seasons. In EIGHT of those seasons, they've bounced back and finished 7-9 or better. Eight times they've been in this exact position and climbed out of that hole to at least be semi-respectable (and let's face it: 8 wins will be enough to take the NFC West title this season).

I'm pumping out sunshine, right? But here's the scary reality: If we lose Sunday it IS over for this season. An 0-3 start is bad enough, but 0-2 in the division, including a home divisional loss? Hard to see how you can win the West pulling that shit. Not only do the Seahawks need to play their best game Sunday, WE need to have our best game as fans- If you're coming to Seahawks Stadium looking for an excuse to boo our team, stay the fuck home. We've only got room for Mean Motherfuckin' Soldiers of Twelve this Sunday- Folks ready to blow out their vocal chords to help give Kevin Kolb fuckin' Tinnitus.

I'll be at the game Sunday, and a loss aint gonna happen on my watch, mofos.

What do you think, sirs? Who is with me? Plenty of leg-room on this bandwagon right now...

"You can't give back what you've taken from me."

2011-09-13T14:35:00.006-05:00

That's what Nic Cage says to Travolta in Face/Off, after the dastardly Castor Troy (wearing Sean Archer's face), offers to switch faces and go back to the previous status quo... This is also EXACTLY how I feel about Super Bowl XL, and it also colors how I am approaching Sunday's game at Pittsburgh.

I've talked about XL in great detail on this blog before, so I don't think I need to rehash everything- But the bottom line is while I'd LOVE to see the Seahawks win on Sunday, this upcoming game will have NO impact on how I feel about what happened in Super Bowl XL.

First of all, while this would be a huge win for the Seahawks (kinda like last season's regular-season win at Chicago, but bigger), there's NO "revenge factor" for Seattle here- Only Leroy Hill and ~~Lofa Tatupu~~ Marcus Trufant remain from the 2005 Seahawks- Other than those two guys, the ENTIRE Seattle organization (expect for Paul Allen) has radically been remade since XL.

Secondly, NOTHING the Seahawks do to the Steelers on Sunday could take away the deep, gnawing, nauseating pain of XL. Even if the Seahawks won 63-0, grievously injured every Steelers player who participated in XL, strung Bill Leavy up on the goalpost by his underpants, and then burned Heinz Field down to the fucking ground IT WOULDN'T MAKE ME FEEL ANY BETTER ABOUT XL. Even if we stole the goddamn trophy and the NFL agreed to let us keep it, that still wouldn't ease the pain of that pitch-black fucking day. Only one thing can: A Seahawks player and/or coach hoisting the Lombardi Trophy in a confetti storm. That's it. Until then, the XL wound will not- CANNOT- close for me... and nothing that happens Sunday will move that needle one direction or the other.

WARNING: RED SOX CONTENT AHEAD

A LOT of terrible things happened to me as a Red Sox fan from 1986-2003 (Buckner, playoff sweeps, Aaron Fucking Boone, etc).. But the INSTANT that they recorded the final out of the 2004 World Series ALL of that pain went away FOREVER. Now seeing the ball roll through Buckner's legs or watching Boone's homer has absolutely no effect on me, whereas before 2004 I would have averted my eyes to stem a panic attack before it started.

Once the Seahawks win a Super Bowl (and they WILL), then I will feel the same way about XL- "Hey, that sucked- But look at this glittering Lombardi Trophy! Ahhhhhh..." Until then, I'll have to quarantine myself from XL footage and limit my interactions with Pittsburgh fans to the absolute bare minimum- It's the only way to maintain my tenuous grip on sanity.

About Leavy officiating this game: I don't like it, but I'm more perplexed by it than anything. Why would the NFL INVITE a full week of XL rehashing in the run-up to this game by assigning it to Leavy? For Leavy himself, this game is full-on Kobayashi Maru: If questionable calls go Pittsburgh's way? We'll all scream bloody murder, and it will simply reinforce the notion that he is inherently biased- for Pittsburgh, against Seattle, or both. If questionable calls go Seattle's way? Well, we'd all just say (and Pittsburgh fans would join us) that he's trying to "make-up" for XL. The fucker needs to call an almost perfect game to avoid tremendous blowback. I'm sure he's THRILLED with The Rog right now.

Obviously, winning this Sunday would be WAY better than losing- But don't kid yourselves... Even a win won't make us feel any better about XL. And if we lose? It's the best kind of loss: A non-conference loss (and if those Yinzer fucktards also beat the Niners, Cardinals and Rams? It all cancels out, doesn't it?).

What do you think, sirs?

49ers 33, Seahawks 17

2011-09-11T20:19:00.005-05:00

Remember how everyone said our win over the Chargers last year was "lucky" because we scored two "fluky" touchdowns on Leon Washington kick returns? I ranted and raved at those fuckers, proclaiming that special teams is every bit as important and legitimate as offense or defense.

So don't go around saying that the Niners got "lucky" on those two Ted Ginn Jr. TDs- Our special teams catastrophically failed on those plays, and cost the rest of the team a chance to prevail in an imminently winnable game. People who didn't watch the game will see the score and think "Wow. Those shitty-ass Sea Chickens got blowed out just like I thought they would. Hyuk-hyuk!" We know the truth. The Niners were perilously close to blowing a 16-point half-time lead- and if our kick coverage teams had done their job, our defense probably at least gives Tarvaris Jackson a chance to drive the team into position to win the game.

For all of the flaws in Seattle's performance today, this one was a missed opportunity- A game they could have and SHOULD have won. The good news is that the defense appears to be on the verge of being a very dangerous unit- Earl Thomas is laying down evidence that he'll soon be one of the best safties in the NFL, and the run defense already looks impressively stout. Particularly with the noise and energy of the Twelve Army behind them at Seahawks Stadium, this defense could almost win games on their own.

The offense seemed to grow in the space of a single game, going from absolutely 1992-level atrocious to downright competent in the 2nd half. Tarvaris Jackson improved as the game went on and showed that he can be dangerous if kept "clean." He'll never be an All-Pro, but as the pass protection improves (and with Sidney Rice on the field), T-Jack can be an effective, maybe even slightly-above average NFL QB. To just lay down this marker: No, he wasn't nearly bad enough to justify Whitehurst taking his starting job. Yet.

I liked the commitment Bevell showed to running the ball, even if it didn't pay great dividends today. Doug Baldwin was a standout on offense, I found Marshawn Lynch's aggressive style inspiring yet again, and it was nice to see Golden Tate find the end zone. 17-24 points is about what we can expect the offense to put up on the board on a week-to-week basis. We aren't going to win a lot of shootouts.

That means that we need not only excellent defense (which we largely got today), but we also need the special teams to at least NOT TOTALLY FUCK US UP. Ideally, they'll dominate games like they did many times in 2010. Giving up TDs? We aren't going to win many games when they do that.

It's pretty simple. The Seahawks will win with competent offense, great defense, great special teams, and winning the turnover battle. We only had 1.5 out of 4 of those today, at best. The good news is that the flaws we saw today should fade away as the team gets healthier and gains experience. This team is going to win plenty of games this year (and yes, they might even win next week).

Even if the Seahawks come away with a loss at Pittsburgh next week, it won't be time to panic unless we lose at home to Arizona in Week 3. The Rams are battered and face a daunting early season schedule- They won't run away with this division. The Cardinals just barely beat the Panthers at home, so I'm not exactly terrified of those jokers.

The Niners? Fuck em. We'll get payback on Xmas Eve. No doubt about it.

This isn't a time for despair. The Seahawks WILL get things going in the right direction, and sooner than a lot of people think.

What do you think, sirs?

You and Whose Army? - My 2001 Seattle Seahawks Story

2011-09-08T16:10:00.007-05:00

Millions of people found their own ways to cope in the dark days after the 9/11 attacks, and my thin tether to sanity was, yet again, the Seahawks. Every week I'd endure the indignities of being the only Seahawks fan at some noisy, overpriced sports bar, but it was worth it- as Homer Simpson once said, it was a break from "stupid reality."

Those 2001 Seahawks were a transitional crew- Long removed from the talented-but-underachieving Erickson Hawks, and not yet the seasoned, veteran crew that would dominate the NFC West through the middle of the decade. Matt Hasselbeck wasn't really "Matt Hasselbeck" yet- Trent Dilfer only started four games, but it feels like he started more because he won all four of his starts, most in memorable fashion.

We got our first real look at how amazing Alexander, Hutchinson and Big Walt could be together- and we also got to see a break-out season from WR Darrell Jackson. The defense was led by Chad Brown and free agent pick-up (and Pro Bowler) John Randle, and on special teams Seattle had an elite kick return specialist in Charlie Rogers. In the end, they just barely missed the playoffs, but helped me make it through a terrible stretch in my life- Here's my 2001 Seahawks story.

On September 9th, 2001 I went to the Seahawks Kickoff Weekend opener against the Browns in Cleveland, sporting my shiny new Hasselbeck jersey. It was a brilliant, sunny Ohio day, and as soon as my fiance and I approached Cleveland Browns Stadium in Seahawks gear we were serenaded with chants of "Assholes! Assholes!" That went on all afternoon, with my lady getting a free pass from the abuse because she was wearing my Shawn Springs jersey ("Oh, she's OK, Shawn Springs is a Buckeye!" Welcome to Ohio, kids). I was called Hasseldick, Asselbeck, and worse. Before the game, most of the sellout crowd LUSTILY booed President Bush as he flipped the coin via satellite from the White House. In many ways, it was just a bad, ugly scene.

The game itself was a snoozer until the final moments. The Browns tied the game at 6 with just seconds left, but Rogers returned the kick into Cleveland territory. With only time for a FG attempt, Rian Lindell nailed a 52-yarder with no time on the clock- I exploded in celebration, first bellowing "Rian Lindell is a GOD!" and then mocking Browns fans as they filed out in defeat. As we left the stadium we passed Bernie Kosar signing autographs- I SWEAR he saw us, noticed our Seahawks gear and gave us an all-time-great dirty look. It was AWESOME. After checking out the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (which isn't nearly as cool as the EMP), we walked to our car parked blocks away... The people that didn't give us the finger or curse at us fucking BARKED at us. It was unreal, and inspired me to HUG another Seahawks fan I saw on the street and howl "Seahawks, MOTHERFUCKERS! YEAH!"

The next day I'd get on a plane to Pasco, WA- The plan was I'd go out and visit my friends and family in the Tri-Cities & Seattle, and I'd catch the Seahawks home opener the next Sunday at Husky Stadium before returning home. I got to my parents' house in Kennewick late the night of the 10th and went straight to bed- We all know what happened next...

Strangely, I woke up on my own about 6 am, and turned on the TV, which was on the Weather Channel- They were talking about air traffic being grounded because of something happening in New York. Partially because I had only gotten a few hours of sleep, I was deeply confused. Then my fiance called me and told me to turn on CNN- Just in time to witness the 2nd plane impact the World Trade Center. I watched the towers collapse with my parents and little brother in stunned silence. It didn't dawn on me immediately that I had just watched 3000 people die- Like billions around the globe, I didn't know how to mentally process such an evil act of mass murder.

I spent that week in haze of confusion, anger and depression. I still went to Seattle to visit my friends from Western, but everything was muted. We had no idea what would happen next, and fear was still heavy in the air. The NFL understandably postponed Week 2, but it was still a gut-punch for me. I REALLY needed a Seahawks game to watch that Sunday. Air travel resumed just in time for me to return to Ohio as scheduled, and as I began my 3rd year in the Ohio State PhD program, I was adrift.

So were the Seahawks, apparently- When the NFL resumed play, they promptly lost two games in blowout fashion. It was so bad that an SI article after the Eagles game wondered if Mike Holmgren had lost control of the Seahawks locker room. In reality, the Seahawks were in the middle of a mini-1985. For two months, they alternated two-game winning streaks with two-game losing streaks. The most memorable moment from that stretch was an ESPN SNF win over Oakland, in which Shaun Alexander exploded for 266 yards and 3 TDs- In November, the Seahawks actually became MORE inconsistent, going L-W-L-W-L until finally ending up at 7-7 going into the final fortnight of the season.

At this point, I returned home for Xmas break and Trent Dilfer took over at Quarterback for the Seahawks. One of my all-time favorite Seahawks moments came in a must-win week 16 game at San Diego. In an odd echo of the season-opening win at Cleveland, the Seahawks allowed the Chargers to tie the game with only seconds left. Once again, Charlie Rogers fielded the kickoff and blazed a trail down the sidelines- As my whole family was screaming "GO CHARLIE ROGERS! GO CHARLIE ROGERS!" he returned the ball into SD territory with enough time for a long field goal attempt. This time from 54(!) Lindell's kick was true and the Seahawks' playoff hopes were still alive.

Now I would get to go to the game I was originally set to catch back in week 2- and the playoffs were on the line. We needed to win, and then we needed either the Raiders to beat the Jets or the Vikings (on Monday Night) to beat the Ravens. It was the most intolerable weather I've ever sat through at an NFL game. Heavy sideways needle rain, wind gusts, temps in the 30s- WAY worse than simple cold or snow. Thankfully the Seahawks jumped out to a 14-0 halftime lead and held on for a 21-18 win, but late in the game word spread- John Hall hit a ridiculous long FG and the Jets pulled out a win over Oakland. That meant we needed Minnesota to pull out an upset win at Baltimore on Monday Night to make the playoffs.

I traveled east all day that Monday, just in time to get home and experience the slow, torturous demise of the Seahawks' season. Despite having to roll Spergon Wynn out at QB, the Vikings hung with Ravens for a while- But that false hope evaporated when the formidable Ravens defense realized that they were facing... Spergon Wynn.

Despite the ultimate failure of the 2001 Seahawks, they gave us competitive, meaningful football to watch in the awful months after 9/11- Every Seahawks fan who remembers that season is still grateful to have had that distraction.

Here's a highlight reel for the 2001 Hawks- It is inexplicably set to "Getting Jiggy With It." Just mute it and we'll all be happier.

What do you think, sirs?

BONUS- The Radiohead song that I named this post after:

Top 10: Seahawks Beat Niners!

2011-09-06T14:36:00.010-05:00

The NFL team I hate the most? Easy: The Pittsburgh Steelers. The silver medal goes to our closest NFL neighbors, the San Francisco 49ers. Last year in this space, I tried to explain why:

A long time ago, I used to respect, even LIKE the 49ers. Back when they weren't yet our divisional foes, I admired lots of things about the Niners. Bill Walsh was a genius who changed the game for the better, Joe Montana and Jerry Rice were class acts who also happened to be two of the greatest players in the history of the sport, and the organization oozed cool professionalism. Back in the 1990s, I vigorously rooted for them to beat the detestable Cowboys every year, and one of my favorite non-Seahawks moments in NFL history was when Steve Young's Niners slayed Dallas in the 1994 NFC Championship. Those old Niners showed that you could win, and win big, by outsmarting your opponents, rather than just beating them into submission. In the early days of the Holmgren epoch, I LOVED the notion that the Seahawks might evolve into an echo of those old Niners teams in the 21st century.

Then realignment- and everything changed. T.O. and his fucking sharpie on MNF... Dennis Erickson taking over in SF... The Niners becoming not just bad, but laughably pathetic mid-decade... Finally, Singletary- The Anti-Walsh. Instead of cerebral, intelligent football? Undisciplined, thuggish caveman ball, coupled with an unearned swagger that lathered up a frothy hatred for the Niners from Seattle to Phoenix to St. Louis.

The current iteration of the San Francisco 49ers dishonors the franchise's long, storied history.

Jim Harbaugh already comes off as almost as despicable as Singletary, albeit for different reasons. On top of that, the Niners are backed by one of the most annoying fan bases in the NFL- A horde of dipshits who live to rub decades-old glory in other people's faces, while their current team flails around aimlessly.

The Seahawks are 13-11 all-time against the 49ers, including a 11-7 record since Seattle joined the NFC West in 2002. Some other fun facts about the respective teams' performances since 2002:

Seahawks
Overall Record: 74-70
NFC West Titles: 5
Playoff Appearances: 6
Playoff Wins: 5
Winning Seasons: 5
NFC Championships: 1

49ers
Overall Record: 56-88
NFC West Titles: 1
Playoff Appearances: 1
Playoff Wins: 1
Winning Seasons: 1
(all of the above in 2002)
NFC Championships: 0

Here's our Top 10 wins over those mangy curs... Enjoy!

10. October 7, 1979: Seahawks 35 @ 49ers 24

The weirdest thing about this one? Rookie QB Joe Montana didn't play for the Niners, but future Hall-of-Famer and infamous stabber O.J. Simpson did. Dr. Dan Doornink scored twice and the Seahawks started an 8-3 streak to end 1979 with a 9-7 record.

9. September 26, 2004: Seahawks 34, 49ers 0
8. November 12, 2007: Seahawks 24, 49ers 0

I can't really say either of these wins were particularly memorable, but it's always a great day when the Seahawks shut San Francisco the fuck OUT.

7. December 21, 1997: Seahawks 38, Niners 9

The Niners came in with HFA locked up, and treated this like a glorified preseason game. Despite that, this was still a rousing win. Warren Moon wrapped up his spectacular 1997 Pro Bowl season with four TD passes, including two to Joey Galloway. This was my first season as a Seahawks season ticket holder, so this game has an added bit of personal significance...

6. November 20, 2005: Seahawks 27 @ Niners 25

This was one of the shakiest performances of the 2005 NFC-Championship season, but it showed Seattle's ability to pull out a victory even when they weren't playing their best football. The Seahawks had a 27-12 lead going into the 4th, but they allowed Ken Dorsey (WTF?) to rally the 49ers to within a 2-point conversion in the final seconds. But this was 2005, NOT 2003 or 2004- This lead wouldn't get blown. Under pressure Dorsey's pass fell harmlessly to the turf and Seattle's sprint to XL continued unabated.

5. October 12, 2003: @ Seahawks 20, Niners 19

This was a big early-season ESPN Sunday Night test for the 2003 Seahawks. Even though the Hawks came in 3-1 and SF was 2-3, the Niners were defending division champs and only a year earlier T.O. had humiliated Seattle on MNF with his Sharpie stunt. The boys in blue ran out to a 17-0 lead, which evaporated into a 19-17 4th-quarter deficit. The Twelve Army watched anxiously as Josh Brown booted Seattle to a 20-19 lead with five minutes left, which was immediately followed by a Frisco march down the field.

Thankfully Chad Brown forced a Garrison Hearst fumble in the final minutes, and the Seahawks' march towards the 2003 playoffs continued.

4. September 30, 2007: Seahawks 23 @ Niners 3

How many times in recent years have we all been told by our social betters in the football press that the glorious revival of the 49ers was jusssssst around the corner? Early in the 2007 season, a trip to Candlestick was supposed to be the changing of the guard. Then this happened:

SQUISHED!

Yup, I have no problem reveling in Rocky Bernard fucking up Alex Smith's career by smashing his shoulder into meat-flavored goop. I'd love to see Brandon Mebane do likewise this Sunday.

3. December 6, 2009: Seahawks 20, Niners 17

The Niners arrived at Seahawks Stadium needing a win to keep their playoff hopes alive against the (frankly sorta pathetic) MoraHawks. Though 2009 was an unmitigated clusterfuck, this was a spectacularly satisfying win... As I wrote in this space back then:

Let me say this clearly: Fuck the Niners. Fuck 'em. For all the bluster and chest-beating and media slobbering over them, these Niners haven't accomplished DICK yet. Nothing. Zilch. 2009 will be ANOTHER season that will end with them in their usual place: sitting at home, watching the playoffs. Once again, with feeling: FUCK the Niners.

All week all we heard about was how Coach Bug Eyes and the big, mean 49ers were going to come into Seattle, pistol whip our players, pillage Pioneer Square and generally lay waste to all things Seahawks. Mr. Commercial Star Mike Singletary would motivate his talented minions to subjugate our poor, defenseless Seahawks on their way to reclaiming what the media sees as the SF birthright: the NFC West title.

The Seahawks decided not to play the victim in this perfectly composed narrative. Of course, it helped that Singletary passed up 3 sure points by arrogantly going for it on 4th and goal early in the game. It also helped that the over-rated Frank Gore killed a Niners scoring drive in the 4th by coughing up the ball, and that Michael Crabtree was scared shitless by a charging Lawyer Milloy on what could have been SF's winning TD in the waning minutes.

2. September 12, 2010: Seahawks 31, Niners 6

I can't really say it better now than I did a year ago...

It was rapturously awesome to see the Seahawks not just beat the 49ers, but physically punish and abuse them. Alex Smith was never going to be the next Montana or Young, but today we saw him just as lost and helpless as he was in 2007. The only difference between today and that game at the Stick three years ago was that Smith's shoulder survived... This time. Can I mention again how terrible of a coach Singletary is? He constantly leaves points on the board, and his team is a gaggle of undisciplined punks.

Carroll's minions in blue? After a shaky start, it all seemed to come together... an imaginative offensive game plan from Jeremy Bates, orchestrated by a savvy, veteran Quarterback (who was barely touched today... thanks O-line)... a ferocious but disciplined defense fueled into overdrive by the Twelve Army. San Francisco was utterly unprepared for what the Hawks threw at them, and it was a joy to behold.

When was the last time the Hawks delivered such a cathartic win? Such a statement that not only would Seattle win the day, but that the future belonged to us too? Simultaneously, our hated rivals tumbled back into Limbo, into the dreary knowledge that the glorious Niner restoration STILL isn't happening. In the words of R.E.M., The Future Never Happened.

There's already a lot of Seahawks fans trying to downplay this win. Fuck that. I predicted that the Seahawks would win the NFC West, and now I GUARANTEE they will... You, my friends, will have a home playoff game to watch in January. I will be at Qwest screaming until my soul spills out, and Mike Singletary and his Niners will be at home, watching on television.

1. December 27, 2003: Seahawks 24 @ Niners 17

The Seahawks went to Candlestick Park for a Saturday afternoon game just after Xmas, needing a win and some help the following day to qualify for the postseason for only the 2nd time since 1988. Seattle entered the game at 9-6, but sported a pathetic 1-6 road record coming into the game. Niners coach Dennis Erickson was hoping for a win to finish the season 8-8 (which was a habit he picked up back in Seattle during the 1990s), and to exact vengeance upon his old employers and the coach who replaced him in Seattle.

The Hawks quickly fell behind 14-0, and lamentations of "same old Seahawks" rang out across the land like church bells. Another winning but playoff-free season loomed.. It was '78, '79, '86, and '90 allll over again... but the Seahawks clawed and gouged back into the game, and then something amazing happened late in the 3rd:

Matt Hasselbeck threw a PERFECT pass to Koren Robinson in the back of the end zone... and K-rob HELD ONTO IT and got both feet in bounds. 21-17 Seahawks. Josh Brown extended the lead to 7, and Shaun Alexander ate up most of the 4th quarter on the ground. The D stopped a last-gasp Niners drive, and Seattle triumphed in a game very few expected them to win. Here's the NFL Films "Game of the Week" treatment of this one:

What do you think, sirs?

Predictions for the 2011 Seahawks

2011-09-04T17:14:00.007-05:00

My 2010 predictions were far from perfect, but hey- I did correctly predict an NFC West title, and a home playoff win before elimination in the divisional playoffs... That's gotta count for something, right? There's a lot of pessimism and negativity about the Seahawks floating around out there- Shit tons of publications are picking us to finish dead-last in the division, and even "respectable" opinion among Seahawks fans is that 2011 is to be a forlorn, doomed season.

Guess what? They're ALL fucking wrong. THIS is what is going to go down. Here we go with my 2011 predictions for the Seattle Seahawks...

The Lead: The Seahawks finish 8-8, and win the NFC West based on holding the tiebreaker over the 8-8 Cardinals (5-1 v 3-3 divisional record). They host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC Wild Card game, and once again the Seahawks are given NO chance against a "better" 11-5 NFC South team- They win (details below), and finally fall in the divisional playoffs at New Orleans, who exact some revenge for the Beastquake.

Postseason awards/Pro Bowlers: None. This will once again fuel blasts of disbelieving rage from all corners of the media- Once again, the nondescript, "uninteresting" Seahawks will sneak into the playoffs over teams that attracted more media "buzz," and then beat an up-and-coming squad in the playoffs. Man, the nattering nabobs of negativity are going to be PISSED. Despite all that, the Seahawks will continue improving, and steal another division crown along the way.

Team MVP: Russell Okung. The Seahawks offense ends up being mediocre rather than horrendously unwatchable, and does JUST ENOUGH to keep an quickly-improving defense fresh, rested, and effective. The biggest reason for this unexpected triumph will be the play of Russell Okung, who will keep Tarvaris Jackson "clean" enough to meet my "be as good as 1999 Jon Kitna" goal- With decent protection, T-Jack finds he has numerous (and dangerous) targets. While no Seahawks WR or TE has a 1000-yard season, Rice, BMW and Miller all come close. Jackson's stats for 2011: 283/479 for 3150 yards, with 22 TDs/15 INTs (Rating: 80.9)

Okung's play will not just allow Jackson to exceed expectations, it will also help the running game control the tempo and grind down opponents. No Seahawks RB will gain 1000 yards, but Lynch, Washington and Forsett will create an effective overall ground game. Without a healthy Russell Okung, playing at an (unrecognized) All-Pro level, none of this could happen.

MVP honorable mentions: Earl Thomas, Brandon Mebane, Leon Washington, Red Bryant, Sidney Rice

Season highlights:

Week 1- Seahawks 24, 49ers 10
For the second year in a row, it's a kickoff weekend win over the 49ers that sets the tone for a successful season. The defense forces 5 turnovers, including a scoop-and-score TD from Aaron Curry. Seahawks fans are also tantalized by a 65-yard T-Jack-to-Rice TD bomb, and the Niners' annual death spiral starts early on- Again.

Week 3- Seahawks 27, Cardinals 17
In the home opener, the Seattle defense sacks Kevin Kolb 6 times, and intercepts him twice. Zach Miller finds the end zone twice, and Leon Washington seals the win with a punt return TD midway through the 4th.

Week 11- Seahawks 20, Rams 19
The Seahawks arrive in St. Louis at 4-5, but in better shape than the surprisingly 3-6 Rams. STL comes out strong in what is pretty much a Death Match for them, building a 16-7 lead in the 3rd. Down 19-14 late, Tarvaris Jackson has his finest Seahawks moment so far: A 12-play, 80-yard drive for the winning TD, which is hauled in by BMW with only 18 seconds left to play. The subsequent 2-point try fails, but the Seahawks keep their playoff dreams alive (and effectively smother STL's).

Week 16- Seahawks 31, 49ers 14
The NFC West gets another round of crap thrown at it by the national press on Xmas Eve: If the 7-7 Seahawks defeat the 3-11 49ers, they will clinch the division with a week left to play. In front of 66,000 Twelves ready to watch them fill SF's stockings with coal, Seattle doesn't disappoint. Colin Kaepernick has a nightmare afternoon- He throws three interceptions, absorbs five sacks and is eating chopped rubber all day long. With a big early lead, Carroll decides to grind it out- Lynch, Leon and J-Force combine for over 200 yards on the ground and Seattle wins its 5th NFC West crown in 7 years.

NFC Wild Card Game: Seahawks 23, Buccaneers 17 (OT)
The underdog Seahawks are (again) given no chance against a seemingly superior opponent. While the Buccaneers may be bound for glory, it won't happen in front of a rowdy Seahawks Stadium crowd, 3130 miles from home. Jackson avoids turnovers and manages to connect on a couple of deep strikes to Rice and BMW. Tampa won't go quietly, and with a gutty final drive capped by a clutch 50-yarder by Connor Barth, they tie the game and force OT.

Michael Koenen is the Bucs' new Punter/Kickoff specialist, a native Washingtonian and a WWU alum like me- His homecoming will be spoiled when he fails to blast the opening OT kickoff out of the end zone, however. Leon Washington returns it 101 yards for a touchdown, and the quickest overtime win in NFL playoff history.

There you have it- The future, inevitable and infallible. What do you think, sirs?

DKSB's Undeniably Flawless 2011 NFL Predictions

2011-08-29T16:48:00.007-05:00

Just like I did in 2008, 2009, and 2010 I downloaded my NFL Schedule Grid, filled it out, and predicted the outcome of the upcoming NFL season- Like I said last year:

All preseason predictions are, to a greater or lesser degree, bullshit. The beauty of this game is its unpredictability. Anyone who tells you they KNOW who will make the playoffs, who will win the Super Bowl, etc, is trying to sell you something. Folks with deeper, more detailed knowledge of the game might be able to give you slightly more accurate predictions, but at the end of the day it's still at best educated guessing.

I've always had particularly deep contempt for implausible preseason predictions. I'm talking about when some lazy sportswriter predicts the records for all 32 teams and comes up with an impossible aggregate record, or predicts playoff matchups without working through tiebreakers, etc. That's why every year I go through the ENTIRE regular season and predict the winner of EVERY game, so all the pieces fit together. What follows is my own particular flavor of bullshit, which you can dissect in the comments at your leisure.

Here we go- Enjoy! (More details on what I think will happen with the Seahawks will appear in an upcoming post)

NFC WEST
Seahawks 8-8
Cardinals 8-8
Rams 7-9
49ers 3-13

NFC NORTH
Packers 11-5
Lions 10-6
Bears 8-8
Vikings 7-9

NFC SOUTH
Saints 13-3
Buccaneers 11-5
Falcons 9-7
Panthers 2-14

NFC EAST
Eagles 12-4
Giants 9-7
Cowboys 9-7
Redskins 5-11

NFC PLAYOFF SEEDINGS
1. Saints
2. Eagles
3. Packers
4. Seahawks
5. Buccaneers
6. Lions

NFC PLAYOFFS
Wild Card Round
Packers 27, Lions 10
Seahawks 23, Buccaneers 17 (OT)

Divisional Round
Saints 41, Seahawks 26
Packers 31, Eagles 28

NFC Championship Game
Saints 38, Packers 37

AFC WEST
Chargers 10-6
Chiefs 8-8
Broncos 6-10
Raiders 4-12

AFC NORTH
Steelers 12-4
Ravens 11-5
Browns 6-10
Bengals 1-15

AFC SOUTH
Texans 11-5
Colts 9-7
Jaguars 5-11
Titans 5-11

AFC EAST
Patriots 12-4
Jets 11-5
Dolphins 7-9
Bills 4-12

AFC PLAYOFF SEEDINGS
1. Steelers
2. Patriots
3. Texans
4. Chargers
5. Jets
6. Ravens

AFC PLAYOFFS
Wild Card Round
Texans 26, Ravens 21
Jets 19, Chargers 17

Divisional Playoffs
Texans 33, Patriots 27 (OT)
Jets 23, Steelers 16

AFC Championship Game
Texans 20, Jets 19

SUPER BOWL XLVI
Saints 35, Texans 24
MVP: Drew Brees

NFL MVP: Drew Brees, Saints
NFL Defensive Player of the Year: Ndamukong Suh, Lions
NFL Coach of the Year: Jim Schwartz, Lions

There you go- What do you think, sirs?

Broncos 23, Seahawks 20

2011-08-28T14:36:00.003-05:00

The Seahawks offensive line is not yet ready to face elite NFL defenses. Tarvaris Jackson isn't an elite NFL quarterback. These are the uncontroversial statements about last night's game that you're hearing from EVERYONE right now- Well, let me rephrase: What you are hearing from a lot of people is that the offensive line is hopeless, Tarvaris Jackson is too, and the 2011 Seahawks are doomed.

I'll grant there's very little to be excited about when it comes to the Seahawks' offense right now. The offensive line isn't anywhere near where it needs to be for the Niners game in two weeks, and that has spilled over to negatively affect every aspect of the offensive attack. Tarvaris Jackson's woes are intimately connected to the struggles of the O-line, but he's still taking too many sacks and having too much trouble getting rid of the ball. The running game appears to at least have the potential to improve sooner than the air attack, but even that is dependent of the O-line achieving competence, if not dominance. Our wide receivers and tight ends? Their grades can only be seen as "incomplete" as long as we can't even get the ball to them. Leon Washington is the offensive MVP of the preseason so far, and that's mainly because almost no one else has done anything of distinction against 1st-team opposition.

For Seattle to be successful in 2011, they have to be able to effectively run the ball- It will take pressure off Jackson, it will open up play-action opportunities to get the ball deep to Sidney Rice, it will help control the tempo of the game, and it will keep our defense fresh. This is ALL dependent on the offensive line "clicking" in a way it simply isn't right now- Things should instantly take a positive leap once Okung returns, but like every Seahawks fan I fret about his ability to stay on the field. Yes, there is reason to be concerned, but for now I'm willing to accept the idea that time, reps, and "coaching up" will eventually get the offensive line where we need it to be.

I guess I have to (again) address the Whitehurst thing- Jackson has been named the starter, and clearly needs as much preparation as possible for the opener down the coast on Sept. 11. It'd be deeply stupid, counterproductive, and distracting to open up the QB competition NOW. Frankly, if T-Jack DOES stink up the joint in September, Whitehurst will almost certainly be starting by October, and at that (theoretical) point I'll be pulling hard for Charlie to play great- But he won't make anyone think "If only we'd started him back in week 1, we'd be XLVI bound!"

Bottom line? If the offensive line play improves, Jackson will play better, and this little debate SHOULD take care of itself.

There was more good news from the special teams and the defense- Doug Baldwin likely nailed down a roster spot with his dazzling 105-yard kickoff return TD, and the defense overall looks way closer to regular-season form than the offense.

It's OK to be concerned about how the Seahawks are playing, but I won't start panicking unless/until they play this bad against a VERY vulnerable, weak Niners team on Kickoff Weekend- I still think we will win that game, and we'll survive until we start hitting our strides after our week 6 bye.

What do you think, sirs?

Corporate Stadium Names Still Suck

2011-08-26T15:25:00.003-05:00

(Just in case you aren't a big Nirvana fan- The Referent)

A while back I staked out this position: I aint gonna call it CenturyLink Field. Then, inspired by the "I'm Calling it Shea" movement among Mets fans sparked by UniWatch's Paul Lukas, I agitated for the production of "I'm Calling it Seahawks Stadium" shirts by "Naming Wrongs" distributors No Mas NYC.

Unfortunately, capitalism is a harsh mistress, and No Mas decided to not produce a Seahawks Stadium version of a shirt like this right now. So, having (hopefully) made it clear enough I'm not plagiarizing their great idea or trying to make money off it, I decided to go the Cafe Press route and make my own "I'm Calling it Seahawks Stadium" shirt (pictured above).

I'm pretty happy with the results, and I'm going to wear that shirt to the home opener against the Cardinals September 25th. If you want to get one of your own made, mine cost about $30 (including shipping). Even if you don't want a shirt, I hope you'll join me in eschewing the Stadium's new corporate moniker (and that cutesy nickname "The Clink") and calling it what we already called it from 2002-2004: Seahawks Stadium (and yes, if you're a Sounders fan, go ahead and call it Royal Brougham Park- Won't hurt my feelings or anything).

What do you think, sirs?

Why I'm Rooting For Tim Tebow to Fail

2011-08-24T14:13:00.004-05:00

I don't like Tim Tebow. Everything about the guy just sorta irritates me. I'm sure he's a fine upstanding citizen, is nice to small animals, etc... But there are few athletes I can think of right now that I more intensely want to fail- And when I say fail, I mean ending-up-playing-for-the-Montreal-Alouettes-type failure. Aside from any positive things accomplished by the Seahawks Saturday night, the main thing I want to see is Tim Tebow's face mashed into the the turf at Mile High. Why? Why do I wish this young man ill?

1. He plays for the Broncos
Maybe the younger fans don't understand this, but the Broncos and Raiders were Seattle's most hated rivals for most of my life- That hate has dimmed a bit over the last decade since we moved to the NFC West, but I still detest the Broncos organization, their fans, and anyone who wears that ugly-as-sin uniform. The moment Tebow slipped into that jersey, he became my blood enemy.

Don't give me any of that "You'd be defending him if he was a Seahawk" crap either, because there's NO WAY PCJS would have drafted the guy, particularly not in THE FIRST FUCKING ROUND.

2. Tebow is ridiculously overhyped
Yes, I know it's not his fault that Josh "I'm the biggest idiot ever" McDaniels spent a first round draft pick on him, but even before that Tebow was promoted by a formidable media hype machine and commanded the support of a massive army of starry-eyed acolytes (more on them later). Tebow is basically a latter-day Eric Crouch, but he's fooled millions of people into thinking he could be an actual franchise QB in the NFL.

I'm no NFL scout, but even I can look at Tebow and realize: "That delivery sure looks funky- Is that going to work at this level?" The deficiencies in his game are so self-evident, that if you think he should be starting ahead of Kyle Orton (or even Brady Quinn at this point), I can only look at you as someone who has failed a elementary NFL IQ test.

3. His fans (and yes, we have to tackle the religion thing)
Y'all should know by now that I'm not a believer. The only thing that keeps me from declaring myself a full-blown Atheist is the fact that I can't be 100% sure there ISN'T a God, either. But even if there was, I wouldn't join ANY organized religious faith. I just can't buy it. At all.

I know I'm in a small minority, particularly in the United States- and if you decide to root against devout Christians in the NFL, you'll be rooting against hundreds of players, and DOZENS of Seahawks. So, if you're me, you make some allowances- Yes, Matt Hasselbeck was a devout Christian, but he wasn't overbearing about it, and everything else about him added up to becoming this hell-bound heathen's favorite player for a decade.

So- I DON'T root against Tebow because he is a Christian. I root against Tebow because he's a proselytizing, overbearing Christian, AND because more than once his fans have accused me of rooting against him because I "hate Christians."

Just imagine that somehow I was an amazing college QB, and I just happened to also be a crusading Atheist, using my celebrity to try convert others to my point of view. Let's also imagine millions of other non-believers rallied around me, and I started winning National Championships and Heisman Trophies. Then, despite obvious deficiencies in my game, I went high in the draft, and my jersey became the top seller in the entire NFL. THEN, all my Atheist fans bitched and moaned about how I should get a chance to start, and that if you didn't think I was the bees knees you "hated Atheists."

That'd be pretty mind-meltingly annoying, wouldn't it, my readers of faith?

At a point where he's accomplished NOTHING in the pros, Tebow has millions of fervent followers who think he should be handed a starting job in the NFL. That's not just annoying- That's disrespectful of the game we all love, and that Tebow cannot play. He should become a star not because of his irrelevant college resume, or his looks, or his personality, or his religious faith- If he is to become a star, it should be because he earns it on NFL gridirons.

The good news is that the NFL is one of the world's greatest crucibles of meritocracy- His celebrity status may give him a bit more time, but if can't do the job, sooner or later the dude will be OOF.

Don't worry about Tebow- The kid will be set for life. He's handsome, intelligent, and has a huge Cult of Personality hanging on his every utterance. The second his NFL career ends, he'll have a lucrative future as a commentator and/or motivational speaker. He'll be fine.

But I certainly hope the Seahawks help hasten the demise of his NFL dream on Saturday.

What do you think, sirs?

Vikings 20, Seahawks 7

2011-08-21T09:27:00.006-05:00

Let's get this out of the way: No, Charlie Whitehurst should not be Seattle's starting quarterback. I think that it's awesome that he played well last night, because at some point this season he may be called upon to win a game for us (like he did last year). I've said for a long time that CW could be a valuable asset to the Seahawks as a competent back-up quarterback, but nothing I saw last night screamed out "Coach Carroll is WRONG WRONG WRONG! Charlie must start!"

I've never presented myself as a hard-core X's and O's guy, but even I know that the guys Whitehurst was lighting up were primarily dudes that will be in the CFL, Arena League, or OOF very soon. I also know that he didn't have to face a relentless assault from a pretty good NFL defense behind a porous offensive line like Tarvaris Jackson did.

Which of course leads to this observation: Maybe I was watching a different game, but I thought T-Jack did some promising things out there- He showed the mobility and escapability our QB will need until the offensive line solidifies, was accurate for the most part, and avoided any big mistakes (the INT Minnesota returned for a TD bounced off Golden Tate's hands- Not Jackson's fault). Jackson is on the right track, and all starting Whitehurst next week in Denver would accomplish is fucking up T-Jack's preparations for the opener at SF in 3 weeks. I sincerely hope Jackson's play is so obviously brilliant at Mile High that it silences the "CHAR-LIE!" chanters, at least for a spell.

The larger concern is the offensive line- Yes, Okung was out, so we can expect their play to improve when he returns... But what we saw last night was discouraging: T-Jack forced to run around like Ben Richards (You know, The Butcher of Bakersfield), and a running game that struggled to press beyond the line of scrimmage. While I loved the attitude of running it 3 times from the goal line in the 1st half, the result (failing all three times) is worrisome.

Other poor performances that stuck out? Golden Tate, Kelly Jennings and Aaron Curry. What can really be said about Jennings at this point? It almost seems unfair to pick on him, and you can count me among those who think he might not make the 53-man roster. Golden Tate's saving grace is that Carroll spent a #2 draft pick on him last year- If not for that, he might be getting a visit from The Turk soon as well. Curry? Man, I really want to like that kid, but then he does DUMB shit like pulling off an opponent's helmet and throwing it. A player trying to erase two disappointing seasons and move forward shouldn't be pulling crap like that.

Good stuff? I liked what I saw from Leroy Hill and Leon Washington. I'm very excited to see us get the ball to Leon: The Professional in more ways this fall, and Hill might end up being "this year's BMW." Speaking of BMW, he had the play of the night with his amazing catch in the first half. We had that LONG drive in the first half too, which was encouraging despite the ultimate failure at the goal line.

The Seahawks have a lot of work to do between now and September 11, but they should still be ready to knock some gold teeth out of Niners mouths by then.

What do you think, sirs?

Your 2011 Seattle Seahawks Jersey Buying Guide

2011-08-17T20:49:00.010-05:00

With training camp in full swing, it's time for those of us with the necessary means to start thinking about which new Seahawks jersey we want to wrap ourselves in this fall. I'm of the mind that a Seahawks jersey is the ONLY appropriate gameday garb for a Soldier of Twelve, and I also can't bring myself to wear the jersey of a player who is now on another NFL team- So my Hasselbeck jersey is out. Particularly in these times of want and woe, I'm not going to get on anyone else's case for continuing to wear a Hasselbeck jersey... But I simply can't do it. This means I gotta buy a new jersey.

(Another variable? We will probably adopt new uniforms next year, so you should keep that in mind before plunking down $85 on a jersey- But for me, I simply can't hold out another year before I get a new jersey. So off we go!)

As I've said in this space before, I'm not big on the "replithentic/semi-authentic" jerseys because I don't think you actually get enough added value to make up for the increased delicacy of the garments. Authentic jerseys? If I had $250 to throw around, I'd use it to buy an Xbox 360 or a PS3, not a shirt. Throwbacks can be cool, but those that are readily available to buy are "semi-authentic" and a bit of a pain to take care of properly. Number 12 "fan" jerseys? A personalized jersey with your name on it? I know some people go with those options, but it's just not me.

It takes guts to put yourself out there and plunk $85 on a player's jersey (particularly given the current front office's penchant for tossing veterans overboard), but it takes some brains to make sure that it's a good investment. What should you look for in a jersey (besides liking the player)?

-Is he any good? (duh)
-Is he at least not an obvious asshole off the field?
-Is he likely to be with the Seahawks for at least a couple more seasons?
-Is everyone else at Seahawks Stadium going to be wearing the same damn jersey?

With these (and other) criteria in mind, I decided to rank the replica jerseys that are readily available online. I checked NFL Shop, the Seahawks Pro Shop, Seattle Team Shop, and a couple of other sites... Let's count 'em down! (Yeah, it's lame that there don't seem to be Obomanu or Hawthorne replicas easily available online... What other jerseys do you wish were available, y'all?)

17. Charlie Whitehurst
HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! You've got to be SHITTING me, NFL.com!

16. Kelly Jennings
I've NEVER seen anyone in a Jennings jersey, have you? Might not make the final 53-man roster.

15. Leroy Hill
I was surprised to see his jersey available. I'm guessing they still had jerseys left over from a couple of years ago?

14. Tarvaris Jackson
I think T-Jack WILL exceed expectations, but I still wouldn't lay out the cash for a "bridge guy" at QB. If you want to buy a QB's jersey, hold out for whoever we draft next April.

13. Golden Tate
I think Tate will improve this year, but the main motivation for buying his jersey would have to be pissing off NASCAR fans, right?

12. Marcus Trufant
A Seahawks and Wazzu legend, and a Tacoma native. But after Hasselbeck and Tatupu were shown the door, how confident can we be that Trufant is going to be with the team next year? Shit- Next month?

11. John Carlson
JC is a fan favorite, but free agency approaches, and the possibility of a trade still dangles over #89. At best, he will probably have a diminished role with Miller now in the fold.

10. Justin Forsett
Young Nastyman is a dynamic player and solid citizen- I'm just concerned that he might become the odd man out in the Seattle backfield- Buyer beware in this case.

9. Aaron Curry
Yeah, he's been a bit of a disappointment, and yes, his rookie contract is nearing its end- But I've bought into the hype that 2011 could be a breakout season for Curry. Also, I've worn a #59 jersey before (Julian Peterson) and it looked great on me.

8. Marshawn Lynch
How can the Beastquaker himself be this low? He's a free-agent after this season. I'm sure plenty of people will still roll them bones, though- Dude's a Bad Mother Fucker, and has a permanent place in Seahawks history.

7. Mike Williams
BMW is a GREAT story- But I'm a bit afraid that he'll regress, or at least that his impact might decline with Rice and Miller also around taking targets away from him. Full disclosure? I also irrationally dislike the fact that anyone is wearing Dave Krieg's number. No, I don't think it should be retired, obviously- Like I said, irrational.

6. Leon Washington
I LOVE Leon: The Professional, and he just signed a new contract. If it wasn't for that STUPID new kickoff rule possibly diminishing Washington's role, he might be as high as #2 on this list. You fucked up, NFL.

5. Russell Okung
If it wasn't for the ankle problems, I'd probably put Okung at #1. I have a weird thing about not wanting to wear the jerseys of injured players, so I'm a bit skittish about buying an Okung replica.

4. Zach Miller
Another newly minted Hawk, a great guy by all accounts, and one of the best tight ends in the game- We all hope he redeems #86 from the taint of Jerramy Stevens.

3. Earl Thomas
Young, early in his contract, and may end up as Seattle's best DB since Kenny Easley. A great buy.

2. Sidney Rice
I think this is the jersey that will take over Seahawks Stadium by the end of this season- Rice will be around for a while, and I really think he has the potential to be the best Seattle WR since Largent. Definite buy.

1. Brandon Mebane
Bane just signed a huge new contract, and he'll be in Seattle for a good long stretch. He is also fucking awesome, so I'm planning to snap up a Mebane replica the second I have the money. I also vowed to Meeb himself on twitter that I'd buy his jersey if he re-signed with Seattle, so I'm kinda locked in (in a good way).

What do you think, sirs?

Ambivalence

2011-08-14T14:52:00.005-05:00

That's Matt Hasselbeck. OUR Matt Hasselbeck, playing for the Tennessee Titans Saturday night. I hear he played well, but I'm not itching to go out of my way to watch the highlights. I feel like I'm not where I should be about the whole "Matt Hasselbeck leaving the Seahawks" thing. On one side, you have a lot of people who are fairly HAPPY to see him go- Yes, a lot of them preface their fusillades against Matthew by saying the right things about his "Seahawks legacy," but the bottom line is that they couldn't be happier that they don't have to watch another snap with #8 leading the Seahawks. At the other pole are the people SO devoted to Hasselbeck that they are furious at PCJS for not giving Matthew a gaudy multi-year deal to stay in Seattle. These are the people who talk about not being able to root for the Seahawks after this horrible betrayal, and how they might just go become Titans fans!

(Side note- If the presence of Hasselbeck and Locker in Tennessee makes you want to jump ship? Good fucking riddance. And no, I seriously don't think it's OK for someone who calls themselves a Seahawks fan to go buy a Hasselbeck or Locker Titans jersey. Nope. It's pretty much the opposite of something that would be OK.)

Simultaneously, I am very upset that Hasselbeck is no longer with the Seahawks, but I also can't in good conscience say it would have been the right move for Seattle to give Hass some huge, multi-year contract. In my perfect world, he would have been brought back on a market-value 1-year deal, but neither Hasselbeck or PCJS were interested in that option.

The classy thing to do (and give both Hasselbeck and PCJS credit- They've handled this with as much class as you could possibly imagine) would be for me to "wish him well" in Tennessee. As much as I'd love to think I'm that enlightened and mature, I'm not. Oh, I don't want Matthew to get hurt, or stink so badly he gets benched... But I also don't want him to go all "Dave Krieg with the 1994 Lions" either. Even with him on a team that will never meet the Seahawks while he's still playing (unless both teams miraculously reached the Super Bowl), the idea of him regaining his form and lighting up opposing defenses in a different uniform makes me more than a little queasy. Imagine watching him lead the Titans to the playoffs while the Seahawks flail about, out of contention, behind a disappointing Tarvaris Jackson... Barf.

Long story short? I'd like Matt Hasselbeck to play for the Titans EXACTLY as well as he played for the Seahawks last year- Maybe a TEENSY bit better, but not TOO much better.

This all probably sounds batshit insane to a normal human being- But these are the treacherous mental waters one has to navigate sometimes when their favorite player and favorite team divorce. In a twisted way, it would be easier if I could place "blame" on Hasselbeck or on PCJS- But both sides acted in their own best interest: Matthew wanted to remain an NFL starting quarterback, and the Seahawks wanted to save some money and start moving towards finding that mythical "Quarterback of the future." Neither side is "wrong," but that doesn't make me any less sad that things turned out this way.

Honestly, I'll probably avoid watching the Titans as long as Hasselbeck is their quarterback- Nothing he does on that team is going to make me feel very good (alright- I hope he throws for 400 yards and 5 TDs against Pittsburgh on October 9th). The point where I'll probably be at peace with all of this is when the Seahawks put him in the Ring of Honor, right below the banner for a Seattle Super Bowl victory.

What do you think, sirs?

Seahawks 24, Chargers 17

2011-08-11T21:20:00.007-05:00

The big news is Russell Okung's injury. We all hope that this particular ding isn't severe, but this is his 3rd ankle injury in less than a year- THAT is troubling. Other than that, there were few real surprises in this typically sloppy opening preseason game.

Some positives? Brandon Browner and Richard Sherman both looked like they have potential to take playing time away from the much-maligned Kelly Jennings. Seattle looked to be stouter both running the ball and stopping the run (and we seemed more committed to sticking with the ground game), Leon Washington appeared ready to take on a much more significant role in the backfield than he had last season, Charlie Whitehurst led the Seahawks on a couple of scoring drives, and Josh Portis resembled an actual NFL quarterback.

The bad? Jennings is still getting toasted like a fucking Pop Tart out there- I'm not trying to tear him down, but he just seems overmatched out there a LOT of the time. Tarvaris Jackson flashed some skill, but also took a couple of very ugly sacks (I have to note that a lot of people are ALREADY totally overreacting to his performance- He is in no danger of losing the starting job to Beef Supreme, and will look vastly better next week). Brandon Coutu probably handed the placekicking job to Jeff "Super Douche" Reed by failing to blast a kickoff out of the end zone and thus allowing a 103-yard TD return.

It would be folly to jump to any larger conclusions about the Seahawks based on this game, given how many key performers either didn't play or left the gridiron after a handful of snaps. My expectations didn't change much one way or another (though they might be downgraded if Okung ends up shelved for a significant length of time). An overall theme was Seattle's across-the-board high level of effort- From the starters to the 3rd string, they made many (correctable) mistakes, but they also played with aggression and physicality- These are quickly becoming Pete Carroll's Seahawks, and the players are adopting the personality of their Coach.

The Seahawks didn't look great tonight, but their shortcomings certainly seem correctable- I expect them to look much better next week at home against Minnesota (and if we are lucky, Okung's injury will be mild).

What do you think, sirs?

Not a Bad Haul for One Day...

2011-08-10T16:08:00.002-05:00

Not only did I get my football signed by Mike Williams today, I also got my Seahawks Season Tickets- Woo! As I mentioned before, I'll be at the regular season opener against Arizona on September 25th- Looks like I'll have to make myself a custom "I'm Calling it Seahawks Stadium" t-shirt at this point. Thank the maker for Cafe Press, right?

The Seahawks have usually been good about giving us season ticket holders cool gifts with the tickets- In previous years, I've gotten a Seahawks Season Ticket Holder license plate frame, a Seahawks messenger bag (that has evolved into a diaper bag over the years), a 12th-Man flag, 12th-Man gloves, etc. This year? A metal tin with two packs of Seahawks playing cards. Meh. Oh well, one shouldn't bitch about free stuff, right?

The good news is that I'll be there for the opener, and you KNOW I'll get out there for the playoffs- I'm not going to be caught watching any more Beastquakes on TV from Ohio!

Would You Like To Know More?

Preface

2011-08-09T21:17:00.005-05:00

Thursday night, the 2011 Seattle Seahawks will cross the threshold from theory to practice- We will finally get to see them clash with another NFL team in anger, and it will be a glorious evening. Keep in mind that the level of play is likely to be embarrassingly awful, and that the only unambiguously positive outcome of the game would be a lack of serious Seahawks injuries... Even with those caveats, I can't remember ever being this excited for a preseason opener before in my 28 years rooting for the Seahawks.

My main advice, particularly for newer fans? Try to resist the urge to overreact to everything that happens in Thursday's game. If T-Jack is awesome, don't run out and buy his jersey. If he sucks, don't assume we're destined for 4-12 either, and so on...

The best news has already happened- PCJS just pulled off the best free agent period in team history, and starting Thursday night we'll finally get to see our shiny new toys out on the field (albeit briefly). It's safe to say that the Seahawks front office isn't trying to "suck to get Luck." Yes, they decided not to spend precious draft picks on the best possible "bridge QB." I'd be dishonest if I told you I wouldn't rather be seeing Carson Palmer, Kyle Orton or Matt Hasselbeck under center Thursday evening- But the move to Tarvaris Jackson makes sense, and I think it has a better chance of working out than many in the national press (or even the Seahawks fanbase) are willing to admit.

I run into a lot of fans who say things like "I'm sick of going 8-8 every year," and that usually develops into some argument about how the team has to get horribly, pathetically crappy before it can be a Super Bowl contender. I don't think that's how the modern NFL works, and I think Pete Carroll understands this. You cannot crap away entire seasons "rebuilding." You MUST make an honest effort to field a competitive team, even in the middle of a total roster demolition- That's what Carroll did last year, and I sincerely believe the team will be better in 2011.

2011 is unlikely to be the greatest season in Seahawks history, but thanks to the tireless efforts of PCJS, it's laughable now to argue that '11 will be among the WORST seasons in team history either- The team has added too much talent, and gotten so much younger, bigger, and faster that it's hard for me to imagine the team going worse than 6-10.

You might find this goal for 2011 to be pathetically pedestrian, but here goes: I want the Seahawks to control their own destiny in the NFC West race going into the final two weeks of the season (which have Seattle hosting the Niners and then travelling to Arizona). If we are in that position, I think we'll win the West, simply because I think this team will get better as the season marches on. My intuition is that we are about an 8-8 team, a little bit better with good luck, or a touch worse with bad fortune. I think 8-8 this season would be a beautiful thing, whether it results in a playoff berth or not.

When we look back on 2011, it's probably not going to be among the most memorable campaigns in Seahawks history on its own- But I think it will be a chapter in a longer story- The epic tale of Pete Carroll's conquest of the National Football League.

Writing starts Thursday- and I think it's going to be a page-turner of a yarn.

When in Doubt, Quote The Simpsons

2011-08-05T21:04:00.005-05:00

Our Seattle Seahawks are gaining a very good reputation for giving their fans free stuff- and today I was lucky enough to be on the receiving end of some of that generosity. Earlier today, the Seahawks promotional team (@winseahawks) tweeted this:

Autographed @BigMikeWill17 football here for the 12th Man! Why should we give it to YOU? Best response by end today's practice wins!

I saw that and thought- Why the hell not?? Then I banged out this response:

@winSeahawks I should get autographed BMW football b/c then I'll have three children- He will be called... Stitchface :) #simpsons #seahawks

If you aren't a Simpsons fanatic like me, that's a reference to the episode where Homer and Ned briefly become friends (Homer Loves Flanders). Flanders gets the game ball from the Springfield Atoms' QB, but gives it to Homer, who is overcome with gratitude and says "Now I have 4 children. You will be called.. 'Stitchface.'" That episode aired 17 YEARS AGO back in season 5 of the show, but like EVERY episode that aired during my college years, it was etched into my geeky little brainpan.

I didn't think I'd win, and I even saw some other responses I liked better- But I was chosen as the winner! Clearly, whoever runs @winseahawks is another huge Simpsons nerd. Just goes to show you, kids- Stay in school, and remember every line of dialogue from every TV show you've EVER watched, and good things will happen! When I get the ball in the mail, I'll share some pics of it with y'all.

Side note- Someone actually complained to @winseahawks that I "stole that line from The Simpsons." Yes, my intent was plagiarism- That's clearly why I included the #simpsons tag in my tweet.

Would You Like To Know More?

Home News: My Triumphant Return

2011-08-05T15:26:00.004-05:00

That's me at Seahawks Stadium back in 2003, right before the opener against the Saints.

Back in March, when I was going to job interviews in Orlando (for a job I couldn't nail down- Fuck), AirTran decided to make my life difficult and cancel one of my flights. The ONLY good thing about this is that they ended up giving me one free round-trip flight, which I am going to use to come out to see the Seahawks regular season home opener on September 25th. Of course, they couldn't make THAT easy- I have to drive two hours north to fly out of Flint, MI to Atlanta, and then fly from Atlanta to Seattle.

Yay?

Anyway, I get into Seattle on Thursday September 22, and then I'll drive down to the Tri-Cities to see my family and catch my little brother's football game Friday Night in Kennewick. Hopefully, I'll get to see the Kamiakin Braves will drop the hammer upon the Kennewick Lions.

Then I'll head over the Seattle on Saturday to see my old college friends from Western, and on Sunday I'll hook back up with my brother and we'll be at Seahawks Stadium nice and early. We usually hit Touchdown City and then go down to the Seahawks tunnel once they open the gates- Don't be shy about saying hi if you spot us!

One way or another, I'll be sporting an "I'm Calling it Seahawks Stadium" t-shirt, even if I have to just get one made up on my own- Still no word from NO MAS NYC about whether they'll be printing those up. Wouldn't hurt to contact them if you are still interested in one of those shirts...

I'm very excited that I'll be coming out, and I should also be at the Browns game in Cleveland October 23. If there are home playoff games, I will be there- Not going to risk missing something like the Beastquake EVER again :)

What do you think, sirs?

Guest Post! HOF Saturday- An Ode to Ed Sabol and NFL Films

2011-08-05T08:38:00.003-05:00

For the first time ever, we are having a guest blogger here on DKSB, and I couldn't be happier. Great stuff here from an old friend of mine on Ed Sabol and the staggering impact of NFL Films on all of our lives.. Enjoy!

Guest Blogger: Brad Nelson

To begin, I’d like to thank Johnny for the opportunity to serve as a guest blogger. His DKSB is a entertaining and informative blog. I hope my post below keeps with the tradition of high quality insights on football (and all things Seahawks, of course) that Johnny has established over the last few years.

On Saturday, the Pro Football Hall of Fame is set to induct another group of legendary men into its relatively tiny but hallowed and glorious building. Seven men (six players, one contributor) from different backgrounds, all of whom have made a lasting impact on the game. Admittedly, as a Bears fan, I’m happy that Richard Dent is finally getting enshrined; he should’ve been recognized as one of the game’s premier pass rushers long ago. He has the statistics (137.5 sacks), a signature game (MVP in Super Bowl XX), two rings (Super Bowls XX and XXIX), a signature move (the strip-sack, which he and LT popularized in the 1980s). And he was arguably the best and most feared defender on probably the greatest single-season defense (1985) in the history of the NFL.

But I’m most pleased that NFL founder Ed Sabol will finally get his day in the sun. I’ve been banging the drum for Ed–on Twitter, via messages to HOF voting members, and in conversations with friends–for the past decade. In my view, he has done more than anyone to popularize the NFL. Most significantly, it was largely through his vision and effort that the American public shifted from seeing the NFL as a corrupt, nasty and violent game (a major problem in the 1950s) to singing its praises as glamorous and essential viewing. Remember, at the time of the inception of NFL Films, pro football was at best on an equal footing with the college game, a notion that seems preposterous nowadays. Under Ed’s leadership, NFL Films helped to grow the game, attracting more television viewers, in-game attendees, and fans and adding billions of dollars to the league’s coffers. And NFL Films itself has become an extremely respected motion picture dynamo that’s unrivaled in any sport in any country around the globe.

In the early 1960s, Ed Sabol quit his job as an overcoat salesman and launched a company devoted to capturing professional football on film. Initially, his new venture was called "Blair Motion Pictures," named after Ed’s daughter. At the heart of this was Ed’s love of making movies. Indeed, Ed constantly tinkered with his motion picture camera, first producing short films of the mundane in the Sabol household and then eventually son Steve’s high school football games. In 1962, for $4000, Ed won the rights to film the NFL championship game between the Giants and Packers.

The timing and location of the 1962 championship is central to the formation of NFL Films. The game took place in New York on December 30. The brutal weather conditions were not particularly conducive to putting together a top-notch short picture for a bunch of young and inexperienced film makers. The freezing cold (game time temperatures were 13 degrees and dipped into single-digits as the game progressed) and high winds (gusts up to 40 MPH) made life miserable for Ed and his crew of cameramen (as well as the players). They struggled, as camera lenses constantly froze and film rolls cracked, and had to adapt to the weather on the fly. But in the end, they succeeded, and this was important for a couple of reasons. One, Ed and his men captured the 1962 Packers, one of the greatest teams in NFL history, on film in their finest hour. And two, the fact that they effectively did the job under such difficult conditions made Ed confident that his team could tape NFL games on a full-time basis. This was the start of what would be known by 1965, after the league purchased BMP, as NFL Films.

It’s rather startling to grasp the progress of NFL Films from its infant stages to the organization as it currently stands. In fact, to get an understanding of how far NFL Films has come, as well as the specific changes it’s implemented along the way, I encourage readers to check out the "Lost Treasures" series. Today, NFL Films is an omni-present force in football. It’s cameramen are everywhere and highly-regarded. It’s work is featured prominently on a host of ESPN stations, the NFL Network, HBO, Showtime, among other outlets. (Additionally, keep in mind that the Sabols have carved out a niche in other industries, such as the Olympic Games, the Ringling Bros. circus troupe, Harley Davidson, Sony Music, and more.) NFL Films DVDs sell very well. The way NFL Films has shot footage has influenced the way that contemporary football games are filmed and aired. And the soundtrack and the distinctive voice of NFL Films are pop culture sensations.

The guiding light behind NFL Films is an interesting character. Ed Sabol grew up in New Jersey, was an excellent swimmer as a teen, attended Ohio State, where he continued his swimming career, and even qualified for the 1936 Olympic Games. He reportedly declined the invite because the Games that year were held in Nazi Germany. And like many American men in the 1940s, Ed served in World War II.

Ed has been and still is an eccentric guy. One could see him in the early days of NFL Films wearing crazy multi-pocketed suits, smoking a cigar, and talking furiously to anyone and everyone. He’s energetic, garrulous guy. But that served him well. He was the networker, the recruiter, a schmooze. In this way, Ed formed connections to important people. He built a strong relationship with Commissioner Pete Rozelle. He pulled legendary voice and Philadelphia newsman John Facenda into the NFL Films orbit while drinking at a neighborhood bar. Ed developed a great bond with Packers coach Vince Lombardi. In fact, so great was this bond that Lombardi allowed Sabol’s crew to record him throughout the 1967 season. Four years later, Redskins coach George Allen (see video below) participated in a similar program for NFL Films. Rozelle, Lombardi, Allen, and other coaches and players backed NFL Films because they liked and trusted Ed; they believed he worked with the best interests of the NFL in mind. And without a doubt, they were right.

That said, it would be a mistake to undersell his creative vision for NFL Films. It was Ed who made the decision to create short football films that resembled in many ways the big Hollywood blockbusters of the 1960s. He sought something that was eye-popping–in terms of the visual footage, musical score, and the dialog. This was a sharp change from how pro football was typically presented. Prior to the emergence of BMP and NFL Films, NFL clips and highlights were packaged in a very dull and boring format by the teams themselves, with employees usually taking their cues from how evening news telecasts displayed content during sports segments.

In the end, Ed’s successfully implemented his ambitious vision, and that, in turn, effectively glamorized the NFL. He created a world in which kids, men, and women wanted a part of. How? Ed helped to create a new image for the NFL. Pro football wasn’t just a vicious and bloodthirsty sport. Sure, NFL Films didn’t avoid showing the big hits. After all, the organization has reams of film on such superstar aggressors like Dick Butkus and Night Train Lane and proudly shows this footage. But what NFL Films did do is open up a whole new side of the NFL that many Americans didn’t see before. Now, the game was also inhabited by aerial assaults by the likes of Johnny Unitas and Joe Namath; swift, balletic receivers like Lynn Swann and Lance Alworth streaking down field; opportunistic defensive backs like Willie Brown; and agile yet powerful running backs such as Walter Payton and Jim Brown. Grace, beauty, artistry gradually became buzzwords associated with the NFL, thanks to Ed and his crew.

It would be a gross oversight to leave out the role that Steve Sabol has played in the growth of NFL Films. Steve, hired by Ed, his dad, worked for years as a cameraman before moving up the organizational hierarchy. Steve brought a distinct and crucial aspect to NFL Films: he played college football (as a RB). Which meant that he brought an awareness and understanding of football to the film crew. As Steve began to take on a bigger role in NFL Films, he made sure to emphasize offensive and defensive line play in the organization’s videos and highlights, a piece of pro football that was usually far overshadowed by offensive glitz and hard hits. Lastly, we should not forget that Steve has been a great spokesperson for NFL Films. He is smart, articulate, and extremely knowledgeable about the history of pro football. And Steve’s passion for the game radiates through NFL Films telecasts and his other broadcast appearances.

As we know, NFL Films has left a significant impression on pro football, and some of its accomplishments I’ve already described above. Here, I’d like to discuss two more.

1. Amazingly, NFL Films has provided the iconic pictures (the short movies and highlights, of course), voice (John Facenda and Harry Kalas), music (Sam Spence), and language (scripts by Steve Sabol) of American pro football. So enduring are the contributions of Facenda, Kalas, and Spence that I believe each should be recognized somewhere in the Pro Football HOF. Unfortunately, a complete discussion of each of these components is beyond the scope of this blog post, though I do want to add a few words. If readers aren’t familiar with "Autumn Thunder," a 10-disc compilation of NFL Films music, I encourage them to check it out. There, you will find well-known and moving tunes like "Battleground," "Round-Up," "Journey to the Moon," "Wild Bunch," "The Raiders," and "Classic Battle." Furthermore, the narration of NFL Films has provided a number of brilliant, vivid lines. Here is an unforgettable quote, and a personal favorite: "Lombardi. A certain magic still lingers in the very name. It speaks of duels in the snow and cold November mud." Probably the most memorable set of lines comes from "Autumn Wind," a poem composed by Steve Sabol for "The Championship Chase," an hour-length video that collected highlights of the 1974 season.

2. NFL Films has gone behind the scenes and revealed worlds that were previously unknown. For instance, game planning and strategy, coaching, player development and acquisition are all familiar and knowable concepts at least in part because the organization has covered them in a thorough manner over the years. There are many examples of this, but the recent "Hard Knocks" series is likely the most prominent one. Just as important, individual profiles of football players, many of which show them on and off the field, have made these athletes relatable and knowable to fans, an extraordinary feat considering that players wear uniforms that cover their entire body and helmets that shield their faces. Yes, it was long thought that football, both college and pro, would lag behind baseball and even basketball because fans could see clearly see the players’ faces. NFL Films effectively worked to overcome this barrier.

On a final note, I’d like to share a few of my personal memories of NFL Films. As soon as I first watched an NFL Films program, sometime during the 1981 season, I was hooked. As a kid, I watched as many programs I could find on television: NFL Yearbook, Super Bowl highlights, Game of the Week, Inside the NFL, NFL Films Presents, among others. These programs quickly enhanced my knowledge of the game. And programs like "NFL Films Presents" provided an essential visual history of the NFL. Impressively, in the course of only a few hours, I was able to get a historical tour de force of key teams and players during several decades. To this day, my single favorite NFL Films movie is the 30-minute highlight package of Super Bowl XVI. True, this wasn’t a riveting game, as the 49ers built a 20-0 by the half, but it was the first Super Bowl I watched, so it still holds a special place in this football fanatic’s heart.

NFL Films also helped to bring some of my favorite players to life, creating a bond that continues to the present. As a kid, I loved running backs. Players like Walter Payton, Marcus Allen, Eric Dickerson and Curt Warner (yes, that’s right, Seahawks fans!) were my gridiron heroes. In an era absent constant football coverage, without the NFL Network or the Sunday Ticket, it was a special treat to see these players on television. Although it happened four years before I began following the NFL, I was able to catch Payton’s magical 275-yard performance (see video below). And whenever possible, I watched Payton in action in Chicago’s yearly Team Yearbook, the Game of the Week, and Inside the NFL.

I originally became a fan of Warner when he was running the ball as a young pup at Penn State. After he was drafted by the Seahawks in 1983, I continued to follow his career. His 1983 season was absolutely breathtaking (see video below). In just one season, he cemented his place as one of the top five running backs in the league. Certainly, I was bummed when I heard of his opening day knee injury against Cleveland in 1984. But he bounced back and had a very solid and at times outstanding career. Warner, in my opinion, is one of a handful of running backs from the 1980s (e.g., Billy Sims and William Andrews) who have been regrettably forgotten primarily because their careers were impaired by injuries. Fortunately, through the wonders of NFL Films programs on DVD, television, and online (You Tube, Hulu, etc.), we can relive the glory days of Warner, Payton, and any other of our favorite teams and players.

As should be evident, I’m a fan of Ed, Steve, and NFL Films. I’ve watched NFL Films for years. I value the work that organization has done. Ed’s induction will be a great moment. And this weekend should be a wonderful one for the Sabol family. Bravo, Ed! Here’s to many more years of wonderful NFL Films programming!

Brad is Co-Founder and President of Center for World Politics and Peace, a think tank on international politics. His work can be found on Facebook and Twitter. Brad has been a fan of pro football, and the Chicago Bears in particular, for the past 30 years.

Happy Days in Renton

2011-08-02T21:22:00.003-05:00

“I took a visit, and my wife and I just loved it. I’m still kind of blown away.”- New Seahawks Tight End Zach Miller

The Seattle Seahawks will win the NFC West. There, I said it. After the best week of free agency in franchise history, this team is bigger, faster, younger- BETTER than they were just 8 days ago. Today's signing of Zach Miller wasn't the most important move by the VMAC brain trust this week, but it reinforced the theme of this offseason: When given a chance to upgrade this team, Pete Carroll and John Schneider will be absolutely relentless and ruthless in pursuit of that goal.

In Zach Miller they've snagged one of the best young Tight Ends in the league (and stole him away from the sub-human Raiders, which is a sweet little bonus). Either he'll be paired with incumbent John Carlson in some fearsome two-TE sets, or PCJS will flip JC for picks/players. Yes, Carlson is a fan favorite- Hell, one of my favorite Seahawks memories is meeting Carlson's parents at a game in 2009- But PCJS have clearly shown that they don't give a fuck about that noise.

Has there been any other week this stunning in team history? The departure of the best QB in team history, who also happened to be one of the most popular players to ever wear a Seahawks uniform... The signing of Robert Gallery and Sidney Rice, the retention of Brandon Mebane... The release of fan favorite and borderline Ring of Honor candidate Lofa Tautpu... Now Miller gets in the fold, and I'm not even mentioning additional moves, like the signing of Alan Branch, etc. In one chaotic week, it's clear that the Holmgren era is finally, truly over- These are the CarrollHawks now, and it's going to be a blast watching them learn, grow, and (hopefully) win this fall.

Most of the major moves have been to bolster the offense (which sorely needed shoring up), but the Seahawks still have the cap room and the ammo to make another big move- Isn't it electrifying to wonder what PCJS will come up with next? Defense aside, the success or failure of the 2011 Seahawks will be closely linked to the performance of Tarvaris Jackson. If he sucks? We're looking at 5-11 or 6-10. If he is ANY good? This team will be playing home games in January.

Like I mentioned in my last post, a good historical comparison is to Jon Kitna. Kitna's QB rating with the Seahawks (as well as his W-L record) is strikingly similar to T-Jack's career numbers thus far. While Seahawks fan tend to view Kitna's Seattle tenure through shit-colored glasses, the dude was good enough to lead Seattle to a 9-7 record and a division title in 1999. If Tarvaris Jackson could duplicate that, in the middle of a complete roster demolition and rebuild, Seahawks fans should faint from delirious joy en masse.

Yes, I admit part of me wonders "Holy shit! How good would Hasselbeck look behind that revamped line, throwing to Sid Rice, BMW and Miller?" But that's a moot point now- As much as I loved Matthew Hasselbeck, the dude is gone and in Tennessee blue. The good news is that Tarvaris Jackson couldn't possibly be more perfectly set up to succeed- He will be at the helm of a run-first offense, and when he does throw the ball, he won't be throwing to a collection of anonymous targets who are "just guys." T-Jack will be surrounded by offensive talent that simply hasn't been available in Seattle since the peak of the Holmgren era. If he can't resurrect his career under these circumstances, he never will. Best case? He goes all 2002 Tommy Maddox on Seahawks opponents this year.

What's next? I don't know, but I'm starting to assume it will be great news- PCJS have made me a believer.

What do you think, sirs?

"I'll bring us through this. As always. I'll carry you - kicking and screaming - and in the end you'll thank me."

2011-07-31T20:06:00.004-05:00

I hate change. In my personal life, I crave routine and continuity- When I am knocked out of my comfort zone, I can barely continue functioning. For fuck's sake- A HUGE reason I am obsessed with the Seahawks is the thread of routine and continuity that they have provided to me since I was 8 years old.

So it is wrenching to me to see Hasselbeck basically sent away and Tatupu cut- I hate it. But do you know what I hate even more than change? Losing. Unfortunately, Tim Ruskell was a too much like me as a GM- Attached to veterans and taking half-measures in an attempt to extend the shelf life of the comfortable status quo. Like The Narrator in Fight Club, he, like myself, was a slave to the IKEA nesting instinct.

Then Mr. Allen hired Pete Carroll. In his first year one the job he made 300 roster moves, cut or traded multiple high-priced entrenched veterans, and along the way won a division title and a playoff game... To paraphrase a line from Fight Club: You had to give it to him: he had a plan. And it started to make sense, in a Pete Carroll sort of way. No fear. No distractions. The ability to let that which does not matter truly slide.

The team, as it previously existed, has been blown up. It hasn't been pleasant or pretty, but here we stand a year and a half into Carroll's reign with another banner waiting to be hung from the Seahawks Stadium rafters, and now better (and far younger) than we were before he came along and shook us out of our collective complacency.

I'm not thrilled that Matt Hasselbeck has been replaced by Tarvaris Jackson, but with the improved offensive talent surrounding him now, T-Jack doesn't have to be an All-Pro for the Seahawks to succeed. Really, he just needs to be as good (or a bit better) than Jon Kitna was with the Seahawks from 1997-2000. We don't have fond memories of Special K, but he WAS 18-15 as Seattle's starting QB. We just need T-Jack to be an average NFL QB- If he's any better than that, we'll certainly repeat as NFC West Champions.

I don't like seeing Lofa Tatupu leave either, but now Hawthorne gets to slide into the middle, where he excelled while Lofa was injured in 2009. We might not be done making moves at LB, but even if we are, I think we'll be alright with a starting trio of Curry/Heater/Hill.

Change is scary, but I have no doubt that at some point, we will look back and see this as the early days of a Seahawks golden age. These are exciting times to be a Twelve- Who knows what's next (hopefully a trade for Osi)? I for one can't wait to find out.

What do you think, sirs?

Matt Hasselbeck v Dave Krieg: The Post-Seattle Years

2011-07-29T16:16:00.004-05:00

Matt Hasselbeck is now a Tennessee Titan, so I thought it would be a good time to step back and look at the post-Seattle career of the 2nd best QB in Seahawks history: Dave Krieg. There a lot of superficial parallels (like the fact that Beck went to Tennessee and that Krieg eventually landed in Tennessee as well at the very end of his career), but some key differences as well.

The biggest differences lie in how each QB left Seattle. In 1992, the Behring family was itching to get recent draft picks Kelly Stouffer and Dan McGwire out on the field. Coach Chuck Knox, particularly after lobbying hard for the Seahawks to draft Brett Favre rather than McGwire, was perfectly happy to let McGwire watch and learn behind 9-year starter Dave Krieg. When push came to shove, Knox's refusal to bench Krieg led to both being run out of Kirkland, with immediately ruinous results. The team tumbled to 2-14 and never truly recovered until Mike Holmgren came to town and acquired his franchise QB: Matthew Hasselbeck.

Hasselbeck's situation is a bit different. A new regime has ALREADY taken over, and Hasselbeck wasn't "their" guy. We aren't sure of every detail about Hasselbeck's departure- Was it a disagreement over the length of the deal? The guaranteed money? Or did Pete Carroll want to move on at the QB position no matter what terms Hasselbeck might have agreed to? The key contrast? Hasselbeck is 36 and coming off three sub-par seasons, and in 1992 Dave Krieg was only 33. Mudbone wasn't exactly tearing up the league in his last three Seahawks seasons, but his performance was clearly better than Beck's final years in Seattle.

What happened to Dave Krieg after leaving Seattle? He signed with the Chiefs, and in 1992 he started all 16 games and led KC to the playoffs (while Seattle had the worst season in franchise history. Ouch). In 1993, the Chiefs traded for Joe Montana, so by '94 Krieg was off to Detroit.

1994 was Krieg's post-Seahawks peak- He took over at QB with the Lions at 4-5 and was scorching hot for the final seven games. 14 TDs, only 3 INTs, a 101.7 rating, and he led Detroit into the playoffs. Krieg parlayed that into a starting job in Arizona, and started all 16 games at age 37 in 1995- Unfortunately he threw a league-high 21 picks and the Cardinals only won 4 games. He rebounded a bit with the Bears in 1996, going 6-6 in 12 starts with 14 TDs v 12 picks; He ended his career backing up Steve McNair in Tennessee before finally retiring after the 1998 season at age 40.

Can we expect Matt Hasselbeck's post-Seahawks career to top Krieg's? He's got a tough challenge in the AFC South, where I see the Titans as, at best, the 3rd best team in the division. On top of that, unlike Krieg in KC, Detroit, Arizona, etc, Hasselbeck has the team's QB of the future sitting on the bench, waiting for an opportunity to get onto the field. If Matthew's level of play doesn't improve over last season, you'd have to think Titans fans will be chanting "LOCK-ER!"

Krieg played 7 more seasons after leaving Seattle, and led teams to the playoffs twice. I can't see Hasselbeck matching that, or even playing to age 40 like Krieg did. I'd love to see him play well in Tennessee, of course- I just don't see him making us rue the day we let him walk the way Dave Krieg did.

What do you think, sirs?

This guy? He's OURS now.

2011-07-28T11:46:00.002-05:00

I'm out and about so this won't really be a proper blog post- but I'm still on a high from yesterday's signings of Robert Gallery and Sidney Rice, so I wanted to post SOMETHING. WOOOO!

I already miss Hasselbeck, but I LOVE these moves. If they can lock up Mebane, this will go down as an amazing FA period for the Seahawks (and I'll have to buy a Bane jersey, since I went on his twitter feed and promised I would if he re-signed with Seattle).

So how are you all feeling about the Seahawks today? Better than Tuesday, I hope!

3 QBs Enter, 1 QB Leaves!

2011-07-26T18:10:00.003-05:00

"Sounds like shit. What else we gonna do, go home?" - Lt. Aldo Raine

I don't like the moves the Seahawks made today. I hate that they let Matt Hasselbeck walk, and I can't say that I love the signings of Matt Leinart OR Tavaris Jackson. I can't think of a SINGLE example of a 3-way QB battle in an NFL training camp, let alone such a battle that resulted in a team having a successful season.

Here's the thing, though- I also thought the Seahawks shouldn't have drafted Lofa Tatupu, and I thought we should have drafted Michael Crabtree. My point? I know fuck-all, when you get down to it. I HAVE TO have faith that the Seahawks front office knows better than I do, that they have a plan, and that they are competent. I have NO CHOICE if I want to maintain my sanity. So, here's my positive spin-

We still have PLENTY of money to go make big moves in free agency, and frankly, we have to spend a shit ton of money to reach our spending obligations under the new CBA. Hopefully, very soon, I'll be writing another post about the amazing free agents heading to Seattle.

I've never seen a 3-way QB derby like this before- That fact is scary, but also exciting. We are about to see perhaps the most compelling training camp in team history (Man, we REALLY should have been on Hard Knocks, huh?), and we're also about to see some of the most important preseason games in franchise history as well. The winner gets to start at San Francisco week 1, so we should see all three men giving their absolute best efforts over the next six weeks.

Pete Carroll is NOT trying to "Suck to Get Luck." I don't agree with this strategy, but I can see what he is trying to do, and hope like Hell that it works. He hopes competition will produce at least ONE QB that can keep Seattle competitive in 2011, if not 2 or 3.

I'm not happy. Frankly, I'm pretty fucking depressed right now. But I'm still in, Coach.

What do you think, sirs?

Happy V-L Day!

2011-07-25T11:25:00.003-05:00

The lockout ends today. There will be no labor apocalypse for the NFL, and the America's most popular and successful professional sports league will now enjoy 10 years of labor peace. This is a day for celebration, my fellow Twelves.

I predicted back in March that no regular season games would get wiped out, and I've rarely ever been happier to have a prediction proven right. It's been an ugly, messy, unpleasant process, but negotiations over BILLIONS of dollars of revenue are rarely neat and tidy. I want to thank Roger Goodell and DeMaurice Smith for getting their constituencies to step back from the brink, put aside their egos and hammer out a deal. For both Goodell and Smith, this 10-year CBA is their legacy, and it cements both not as dunderheaded nincompoops but as Responsible Stewards of the Game.

Our falls and winters will be filled with Seahawks football until 2021, with no possibility of a strike or a lockout. How sweet is that? I still think that the owners unnecessarily created this crisis, but I hold no ill will towards them now. How can I? There is a Seahawks game in SIXTEEN DAYS! WOOOOOOO!

Obviously, news is going to come fast a furious now- My twitter feed is a constant source of info and opinion for y'all, and of course I'll post here about the BIG news as it happens.

We Kept Calm and Carried On- Now let's watch some fuckin' football!

The Whitehurst Checkmate

2011-07-17T13:08:00.004-05:00

My reputation among Seahawks fans who read this blog and/or my twitter feed is that of the eternal (and sometimes irrational) optimist. It's extremely rare that I go into any season without the belief that the Seahawks will be competitive. I've never picked any team other than the Seahawks to win the NFC West, and that won't change in 2011. When I look at the Seahawks, it is almost always through gun-metal blue and neon green glasses.

But there is one thing that would shatter my hopes of a successful 2011 campaign: Charlie Whitehurst being named Seattle's starting quarterback.

So what is The Whitehurst Checkmate? Imagine this scenario: During the 72-hour window to re-sign free agents next week, the Seahawks either fail to make Hasselbeck an offer or make him an offer he refuses in order to test the market in free agency. Efforts to trade for Carson Palmer, Kevin Kolb or Kyle Orton fail. Then, we are left with Whitehurst, and possibly Matt Leinart or Tavaris Jackson competing with him for the starting job. THAT'S The Whitehurst Checkmate, and it scares the hell out of me (Jesus, just imagine that game against Arizona at Seahawks Stadium week 3- Worst case is we come in at 0-2 behind a very shaky Buddy Christ, and Arizona comes in led by... Matt Hasselbeck. I think I would cry).

Look- I don't HATE Charlie Whitehurst. I think he can be a solid back-up quarterback in the NFL, and can win games for you every once in a while (for example, the Rams game last year). What I can't see in him is the quarterback who will lead the Seahawks to another NFC West title this season... and guess what? That's ALL that matters to me. I don't care about our 2012 draft position, and I don't care about "seeing what we have" in Whitehurst. Yes, we are rebuilding- But why hobble yourself by not putting the best possible quarterback on the field?

I'm on record with my desire for the Seahawks to get Carson Palmer. I think he's a (somewhat) better quarterback than Matt Hasselbeck at this point in his career, and he's 4 years younger than #8. If we can get him for a low-round pick or two, Pete Carroll should leap at that opportunity. If Mike Brown continues to be a stubborn old wrinkly fucker, our next best plausible option is to bring back Matt Hasselbeck (side note: at this point I'm not counting Kevin Kolb or Kyle Orton as "plausible" options, given the high cost of acquiring either player).

Yes, Hasselbeck isn't the player he was in 2007- But the arguments for choosing Whitehurst over Beck are, to be blunt, unpersuasive. Let's break them down:

1. "We spent a 3rd round pick and a bunch of money on Whitehurst- We need to "see what he can do" and/or "give him a chance."

First of all, Pete Carroll should be making this decision SOLELY based on who gives the Seahawks the best chance to win, NOT on the unrecoverable resources we've already spent on Whitehurst. Like I've said before, successful organizations do not let themselves become anchored to sunk costs- This situation is no exception.

Another weird notion is that Whitehurst should get a chance to "show what he can do." Why? If it's manifestly obvious that the Seahawks have better options at QB, why on Earth should we say "Fuck it! Let's just blindly hope Whitehurst will exceed expectations!" If Whitehurst couldn't earn the job in OTAs/training camp/preseason last year, and was at best OK in game action, why should he be handed the starting job in 2011?

2. "The offense will be better/more balanced/stronger, so we can get by with Whitehurst"

Hey, if he ultimately IS the choice, I hope this is true. Doesn't the same reasoning apply to Hasselbeck, though? Wouldn't we also expect HIM to improve his play with better personnel around him? Doesn't he bring the added qualities of experience and veteran leadership, which Whitehurst lacks?

3. "The Seahawks are unlikely to be any good this year anyway, so let's try to get by with Whitehurst/tank the season to get Andrew Luck."

Hopefully y'all realize that if this is what you think, I'd like you to stop reading this blog, stop coming to Seahawks games, just go all the way and become a Titans fan, and perhaps walk into traffic. Fuck you.

4. "HASSELBECK SUCKS! DERP DERP HARF!"

Hasselbeck isn't my #1 choice for Seahawks QB either, but a lot of fans seem to VISCERALLY, PASSIONATELY want anybody other than Beck under center, and that's just stupid. Hasselbeck is obviously in decline, but I still see him improving on his 2010 performance as far more likely than Whitehurst giving Seattle equivalent production. And if I'm wrong? Guess what- The glorious untapped potential of Charlie Whitehurst will still be on the sideline, ready to step in if needed.

Maybe it's a matter of different perspectives on "knowns vs unknowns." For me, I know what we have in Hasselbeck, and as the Saints playoff game showed, he still has the ability to play outstanding football. I am comfortable gambling that we'll see more of that next year and less of the type of games he had against Atlanta or at San Francisco. I am far less comfortable gambling that we'll get a season of mostly "Week 17 against the Rams" or better from Charlie Whitehurst. He lacks the pedigree and the resume that would make me comfortable handing the team over to him.

Of course, it doesn't ultimately matter what I think- It matters what Pete Carroll thinks. If he picks Whitehurst, I will still cheer for the Seahawks until my voice gives out- But my expectations for, and excitement about, the 2011 season would plummet.

What do you think, sirs?

Pre-DKSB Flashback: Cleveland

2011-07-15T14:11:00.002-05:00

Every once in a while, I reach back to the archives of my old personal blog to share with y'all some things I wrote about the Seahawks years ago. Given that I'll probably be going to my 3rd game at Cleveland Browns Stadium this fall, I thought I'd re-post what I wrote about my experience at the 2007 game. I've got no real beef with the Browns or their fans- We share a love of Mike Holmgren and a hatred of the Steelers. However, both in 2001 and 2007 I was treated like absolute sub-human garbage at games in Cleveland- If you are going to the game this October, be prepared for battle. Now, a look back- I wrote the following back in 2007.

This was the worst experience I’ve ever had at an NFL game, and not just because the Seahawks lost. I can say without a doubt that the fans at Cleveland Browns Stadium are the most ignorant, drunken bunch of shitheels I’ve ever been exposed to at a sporting event.

Before anyone says “it’s like that everywhere,” go to a game at Qwest Field and root for the other team. You’ll probably get intermittently yelled at, but you’ll never feel like you are personally in danger. You’ll notice that the Seahawks fans actually know when to be loud and when to be quiet (here’s a hint, Browns fans: When your team has the ball, shut the fuck up… Your players are telling you to be quiet for a reason). You might observe that Seattle has the loudest stadium in the NFL WITHOUT de-evolving into a gaggle of 66,000 fucktards.

When I went to the bathroom, someone threw a wadded up wet paper towel into the stall at me. After the Seahawks scored to go up 7-0, I cheered for my team, which motivated the guy in front of me to scream in my face “SIT DOWN AND SHUT THE FUCK UP! THIS IS CLEVELAND!”

Of course, my reply was “I paid for my ticket! Woooooo!” This got the whole section chanting “ASSHOLE!” at me; I gleefully joined in at the top of my lungs (Side note: I have no love for the self-proclaimed Seahawks “fans” around me who sat there silent during the whole game. Fucking suburbanite cowards).

Once it was clear I wasn’t going to be intimidated, they resorted to mockery, exaggeratedly cheering each time the Browns made a positive play. Um, we actually do that in Seattle.. You know, cheer when our team does good things. One guy walking past me shouted “Cleveland Rocks!” right in my face.. then said “You ever hear that one? What has Seattle ever done?” My reply: “Nirvana, Jimi Hendrix, Pearl Jam.”

Besides the asshole fans, it was a shitty overall atmosphere at the stadium. There were almost no updates of scores or stats around the league, and there were major problems with the lighting and sound systems. Hell, there were virtually no updates of the stats in the game we were attending.

When the game was over, one fan turned to say something to me.. I assumed it would be “nice game” or something like that… Nope.

“Sucks to be you, man.”

Ahh, Cleveland. Nothing but class.

After the Seahawks made the 2007 playoffs and the Browns fell jusssst short, I wrote the following:

Suck our giant, hairy, fertile nutsacks, Cleveland.

Prophecy, from November 2007:

Seattle will be playing in January. Cleveland most certainly will not.

I have friends who are Browns fans, some of which even read this blog. They are upstanding citizens, loyal Americans, good people, and punctual taxpayers. They might not want to read the rest of this entry.

As you may know, I’ve been to two Seahawks/Browns games in Cleveland, and they were by far the two worst experiences I’ve ever had at a sporting event.

Browns fans may whine “but we were 10-6 too! We were just unlucky to be in the AFC! And we beat you head-to-head! Arf! Arf! Ruff! Ruff!” All that may be true, but it doesn’t change the fact that every fucking piece of shit asstard who flipped me shit for 4 hours gets to watch the Seahawks play in the motherfucking NFL fucking playoffs, motherfuckers.

And where, oh where, are your precious Brownies? At home, jerking off thinking about that asinine elf mascot tossing Drew Carey’s salad in the Price is Right green room!
Add the 2007 Browns to your litany of failure and pain, Cleveland. May the memories of Derek Anderson’s four interceptions against Cincinnati (which cost your little replicant expansion team a wild card berth) haunt you in the same way MJ, Josh Beckett, Pedro Martinez, The Drive, The Fumble, Jose Mesa and Brian Sipe already do.

Ahh, if I could only see the guy who looked me in the eye and told me “sucks to be you” after that game in November… I wish I could have been there in whatever fleabag sports bar he was at last night, to just soak up his despair.. As the final kneeldown commenced in Indianapolis, he would have seen me… decked out in Seahawks gear with my Red Sox hat on… and, in what would have sounded like the booming voice of the Old Testament God, I would have bellowed:

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! IT SUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCKS TO BE YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOUUUUUU!!!!! MU-HA-HA-HA!

Yup. I’m a class act.

GO SEAHAWKS!

Blue Ruin: My 2004 Seahawks Story

2011-07-13T14:43:00.008-05:00

(Want to watch highlights of individual 2004 games? Here they are at NFL.com, kids!)

In March of 2004, my favorite movie of all time came out- Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (and I'm not alone in my adoration of the film). If you haven't seen it yet, you should- It's even available on Netflix Instant Streaming. This line from that AV Club "Best of the 00s" list nicely sums up why the film hit me (and others) so hard:

"Eternal Sunshine’s lovers' circular path brings them back together for an ending that’s ambiguous but guardedly hopeful about the possibility of a future not necessarily doomed to reprise the hurt of the past, though it also may well revisit the same mistakes. It’s the rare film that shows us who we are now and who we’re likely, for better or worse, forever to be."

Later that year, Seahawks fans would endure the most frustrating, maddening, painful 9-7 division-winning season any NFL team is likely to experience. Much of that year was a string of horrifying, gut-punch defeats that would be great targets for Lacuna's technology featured in Eternal Sunshine- But I'm here to tell you that this season gives us invaluable insight into the psyche of Seahawks fans. As much as those who lived through 2004 might like to erase it from our memories, it is a part of us, as much as 2005 or 1983.

The season started with high expectations- Despite the overtime Wild Card loss at Green Bay in January, optimism was high with the team coming off its first 10-win season since 1986. The Seahawks were a darkhorse Super Bowl contender, and after playing the mighty Rams tough in 2003, they seemed like a smart bet to at least win the NFC West in 2004.

I was fortunate enough to catch the season opener down in New Orleans, a relatively easy 21-7 win that seemed to confirm that the Hawks were heading in the right direction- It was a week 1 road win at 10 am pacific time (all historical trouble spots for Seattle)- Even against the mediocre Saints, it seemed like a great sign. Then came a gritty road win at Tampa, and a 34-0 garroting of the Niners at Seahawks Stadium... The Hawks looked primed for BIG things.

The next week the Rams came to town. You younger fans may not really understand the depth of our hatred of the guys from St. Louis back then- A huge part of that animosity came from the fact that the Rams adopted the smug arrogance of their head coach: The detestable, face-punchable Mike Martz. It wasn't just that the Rams had recently been to and won Super Bowls. It wasn't that they had beaten up on us that badly (from 2000-2003 Seattle was 2-3 against the Rams- They weren't getting dominated). They were on top, and they were PRICKS about it, all but gleefully smelling their own farts. It was maddening.

For 54 minutes, the Seahawks dominated St. Louis. They led 27-10. Shaun Alexander shredded the Rams defense for 150 yards and the defense forced three Marc Bulger interceptions. Then, it was like a switch got flipped- Seattle's offense became a 3-and-out machine, and the defense absolutely could not stop St. Louis' air attack. 27-10 became 27-17, 27-24 and then 27-27 before millions of stunned Twelves could comprehend what was happening. In overtime, Shaun McDonald hauled in a 52-yard Bulger TD and the implosion was complete. This is how Isaac Fucking Bruce celebrated:

My reaction was more like a panic attack than anything else. I was 29 years old, and decades removed from crying after Seahawks losses- But I simply collapsed into sobs after that game, into a deep, inescapable despair. At that time in my life, I was DEEP into my graduate studies, and there's no way to sugar-coat this: I was fucking miserable. I had spent 5 years in an elite PhD program, and the main effects of the experience were the destruction of my imagination and the near-obliteration my ability to feel joy. I depended even more than usual upon my Seahawks (and my Red Sox) to be an oasis of good feelings and happiness- That Rams game just seemed to punctuate the darkness in my life at that time.

The 2004 team never REALLY recovered from that game- They'd fall to 3-3 before recovering JUST enough to beat the 1-5 Panthers and 1-6 Niners. A loss at St. Louis came next, and all that kept Seattle's season from a shattering 4-game losing streak was a Michael Boulware pick-6 in the final minute to beat the (wait for it) 1-win Dolphins.

It was during this time that the Hawks picked up Jerry Rice. While most of his half-season in Seattle was fairly uneventful, he had one last great game in him, and he saved it for the Dallas Cowboys and Monday Night Football. Unfortunately, the Seahawks defense and the officials conspired to turn this one into another soul-battering Seattle loss.

Undoubtedly, this was a highly entertaining game for the casual fan- But for Twelves, it was a puke-inducing roller-coaster that ultimately left us passed out in our own barf. The Seahawks lead 14-3! Yay! Oh no, The Seahawks trail 29-14! Look! We're up 39-29 with only minutes left! Fuck yeah! A late Alexander TD seemed to seal it- This was catharsis; This was the turning point for the 2004 Seahawks! XXXIX or bust!

Then the officials gave us a grim reprise of the 2003 game at Baltimore/a terrible preview of Super Bowl XL: Keyshawn Johnson CLEARLY failed to get two feet down on a 34-yard "touchdown," and since it was under 2 minutes, it was up to a booth review... Which never happened. Jason Witten recovered the onside kick, and with 32 seconds left Julius Jones (yes, that fuckin' guy) delivered the killing blow. Was it as bad as the St. Louis collapse in October? No, but it was damn close.

The only truly, unabashedly joyous moment of 2004 came the next week, when the Seahawks pulled off a huge, season-saving upset in Minnesota. Darrell Jackson, playing only hours after his father's death, had the best game of his career, and Michael Boulware intercepted a Randy Moss pass (WTF?) in the final minutes to seal a 27-23 win. One of the craziest things about the '04s? They were OK on the road (4-4), and only 5-4 at Seahawks Stadium- Weird, huh?

What we hoped was a turning point once again evaporated- This time in a blowout loss to the Jets out on the east coast. Thankfully, the Seahawks' last two games were at home- The bad news was that Matt Hasselbeck wouldn't be able to play against Arizona. Alexander had ANOTHER huge game: 154 yards and three touchdowns, and the Hawks led 24-7 midway through the 4th. Then Seattle's secondary realized it was late in the game and started making Josh McCown look like Neil Goddamn Lomax- Quickly, it was 24-21, and it took a Trent Dilfer 3rd down scramble to finally put the game (and a playoff spot) away.

With a win in the season finale (or a Rams loss to the Jets), Seattle would win its first NFC West title. I was at the game, and with the playoff-bound Falcons treating it like a glorified preseason game, I loved our chances.

But this was 2004- and this team was determined to torture their fans. They fell behind 17-7 before clawing back into a 21-20 4th quarter lead. Matt Hasselbeck scored on a QB sneak to make it 28-20 in the waning minutes (oh, we'll come back to that), but the Falcons marched right back down to the Hawks' Nest to get within a two-point conversion of OT... But then a draw play- Dunn struggling for the goal line- and he is stopped short! Wooooo! NFC West Champions! Bring on those St. Louis fuckers!!!!

Hold those positive vibes, though. In a post-game interview, Shaun Alexander accused Coach Holmgren of "stabbing him in the back" when he called for that QB sneak, rather than handing it to #37. It turned out that Alexander was one yard short of winning the NFL rushing title, and was also acutely aware of that fact. Holmgren either didn't know or (more likely) didn't care, and suddenly the story wasn't Seattle's division title and upcoming home playoff game- It was Alexander's outburst, which ultimately gave unlimited ammunition to Seahawks fans already predisposed to dislike him for his less-than-hard-nosed running style. Ugh.

After all we endured, here was the chance for redemption. Just think about 2010- What we will forever remember is the Beastquake and slaying the Saints- Not the blowout losses that littered the regular season. The 2004 team had a similar opportunity- Beat the Rams, and beat them in the playoffs, and the season would be redeemed. The collapses against STL and Dallas would become trivia. This was their defining moment.

The Hawks came out oddly flat and fell behind 14-3. Shaun Alexander disappeared, only scratching out 40 yards on the ground, but Hasselbeck and Jackson were magnificent- Matthew scorched the Rams for 341 yards passing, 128 of which were snagged by D-Jack. Once again, the Seahawks would fight back and lead 20-17 in the final quarter. Once again, the defense would squander that lead. Hasselbeck, Jackson and the rest of the Seahawks sprinted downfield on a desperate final drive, trailing 27-20. They'd reach the St. Louis 5-yard-line before stalling. 4th Down. Hasselbeck would avoid pressure and chuck a little sidearm toss at Bobby Engram. It wasn't the easiest catch to make, but it was one you have to make in the playoffs.

Engram didn't. Game over. Season over.

You could argue that this was just the prelude to the glorious 2005 campaign. That might work if Leavy and his gang hadn't fucked us out of a fair chance to win XL. If we had won it all next the next year, the 2004 Seahawks would have been like the 2003 Red Sox: One last spasm of trauma before final, glorious victory. But that's not how it happened.

The 2005 Seahawks were an sparkling, spectacular aberration- As maddening as the 2004 season was, it was like the entire history of the franchise compressed into a single season- A lot of mediocrity, a good dose of weirdness and bad luck, a dash of questionable officiating, deafening noise, stunned silence, and outbursts of unexpected joy.

We ARE the 2004 Seahawks, for better or worse. The good news? For a long time, the Red Sox WERE 1967-1975-1978-1986-2003. That changed, didn't it? And it changed forever. Someday, we will no longer be defined by seasons like 2004- But for those of us who lived through '04, those memories make us the fans we are, and I'd never want to lose them.

What do you think, sirs? Your thoughts on 2004?

The Legacy of Matthew Hasselbeck

2011-07-08T14:16:00.004-05:00

Until the lockout finally gets settled (hopefully in the next few days), speculation will fly about where Matt Hasselbeck will play this fall- If you've followed my twitter feed at all, you've also seen robust debate about whether Hasselbeck's return to Seattle is a great idea, a horrible idea, or perhaps simply the best of bad options (My official position? I'd like to see the Seahawks acquire Carson Palmer, Kyle Orton or even Kevin Kolb via trade- But if they can't swing any of those deals, I VASTLY prefer they retain Hasselbeck than roll the dice on the remote prospect of Charlie Whitehurst leading Seattle to another NFC West title in 2011).

What happens next, however, is unlikely to fundamentally change Matt Hasselbeck's place in Seahawks' franchise history- There are really only two scenarios that would:

A) He goes to division rival Arizona, plays extremely well there for a number of years, beats the Seahawks regularly, and complicates his Seattle legacy.

B) He stays with the Seahawks, and enjoys a shocking resurgence, leading Seattle to a deep playoff run or even a Super Bowl title- If this happens, he goes from "top 5 player" in team history to perhaps the very top.

Everything else in between- from him going somewhere like Tennessee for a couple of years, or staying with Seattle and declining further- doesn't really alter the basic narrative of Hasselbeck's career. What is that narrative? Let's take a step back and look at Hasselbeck's body of work.

Hasselbeck came to the Seahawks via trade in 2001, and didn't immediately justify the cost of acquiring him. He was mediocre at best in 2001 before getting injured and replaced by Trent Dilfer, who led Seattle to the precipice of a playoff appearance. Dilfer returned in 2002, but along with the rest of the team, he got off to a terrible start. The team was 1-5 going into a game at Dallas (The "Emmitt Smith breaks the record" game), and that day Dilfer's popped Achilles' tendon gave Hasselbeck an opportunity to win back the starting QB job- He lead Seattle to an upset win that day, and went on to have a BLISTERING performance over the last 10 games of the 2002 season- The team went 6-4, and he threw for over 3000 yards (including ~~a career-high 475~~ 427 yards in a furious near-comeback down in San Francisco).

Since then, with a few injury interruptions aside, Matt Hasselbeck has been the unquestioned on-field leader of the Seahawks franchise. There is no real debate about his status as the best QB in team history- No QB has won more games for the Seahawks, led the team to more playoff wins and divisional titles, completed more passes or thrown for more yards than Hasselbeck (Yes, Dave Krieg's rating is a tenth of a point higher than Hasselbeck's, and he threw for more TDs, but on balance even a Krieg fanboy like me has to give Beck the nod here). He has played through injuries, and while he has always had that tendency to make rookie mistakes, he also plays with an amount of passion I wish all 53 guys on the roster also possessed.

Beyond his status in Seahawks history, he has a legitimate claim to being one of the NFL's best QBs over the past decade- Is he a Hall of Famer? No. Is he on the same level as Brady-Manning-Rodgers-Brees? No. But his body of work is that of a very good, near-elite quarterback. If you look at some of the players Hasselbeck is "similar" to on Pro Football Reference, you'll see names like Archie Manning, Neil Lomax, Danny White, etc- and that's about right- All these guys, like Hasselbeck, were very good QBs who at times looked elite, but could never QUITE get their team all the way to a championship.

Hasselbeck isn't a (mostly) beloved figure among Twelves simply because of his on-field accomplishments, though. He has always been entertaining, engaging, and relatable off the field (I truly think he can be a great broadcaster if he wanted to do that after he retires); I also think part of the reason I like him so much is that unlike a lot of NFL QBs, he comes off not as an alpha-male jock but as, frankly, a bit of a dork. To me at least, that's a very endearing quality. He also put down deep roots in the Seattle area, and has been extremely active in the community. That all adds up to make him one of the most popular Seahawks ever, in addition to one of the best.

Where does he rank? I'd put him down as the 5th greatest Seahawk, behind Walter Jones, Steve Largent, Cortez Kennedy, and Kenny Easley. No matter what happens between today and his eventual retirement, he should SWIFTLY join the Seahawks Ring of Honor once leaves the game. One of the hundreds of reasons I am still so embittered about XL is the impact it had on Hasselbeck's legacy. If the officials had not incompetently tipped the scales in Pittsburgh's favor, Matt Hasselbeck would probably have a Super Bowl title and a Super Bowl MVP award on his resume- Those things rocket him from "very good quarterback" to "borderline Hall of Famer."

That's my take on Hasselbeck's legacy. What's yours?

June 22 Podcast With Hawk Blogger and Field Gulls

2011-06-22T22:19:00.000-05:00

Enjoy!

I'm Calling it Seahawks Stadium

2011-06-21T20:04:00.004-05:00

Two years ago, when the New York Mets moved into their new ballpark, many folks, including Mets Fan/Uni Watch blogger Paul Lukas, were displeased with the new park's name. Lukas decided that he would simply ignore the name "Citi Field," and continue calling it Shea Stadium.

Thus, the "I'm Calling it Shea" movement was born... The slogan ended up on a T-shirt, the idea caught on in other cities, and a whole bunch of T-shirts have been sold.

Now, it's official: The Seahawks will no longer play at Qwest Field, starting this fall. I already covered this back in March, but this seems like a good time to revisit the issue. I don't think this is some grave injustice or anything- Corporate names on stadiums have been around forever, and will be with us for the foreseeable future... But we don't have to play along. We don't have to rewire our brains every time a company gobbles up another one. They count on the fact that even those of us who piss and moan about the new name on the stadium will eventually wear down, give in, and start calling it what we are supposed to. Hell, maybe we'll even give it a cute nickname like "The CLink" (Barf).

But we can keep it simple. We can call it what it was called before it was even built, and what it was called from 2002-2004: Seahawks Stadium. Many Sounders FC fans already call it "Royal Brougham Park," so why can't the Twelve Army slap it's own nickname onto the arena?

We paid for the stadium. We pay to sit in the stadium and watch the games. We pay for the food, the beer, the team merchandise. Sure, the team can sell the official naming rights, but WE can call it whatever the fuck we want. That new official name? It's fucking lame. For me, it will now ONLY be called Seahawks Stadium, now and forever.

Who is with me on this?

If you are with me, perhaps you'd like our own "Naming Wrongs" shirt, like the others available at No Mas? I'm trying to get them to print some up- I promise that if they do, I will see you at the home opener against Arizona September 25, and you will see me wearing an "I'm Calling it Seahawks Stadium" T-shirt.

If you want to join me in this crusade, it would help to tell the folks at No Mas that you'd ALSO like to buy an "I'm Calling it Seahawks Stadium" T-Shirt. They are on Twitter so you can send them a blast there, or you can call them up at 917-338-4334, or you can email them at admin AT nomas-nyc.com.

Our team, our stadium. We can call it whatever we want. Join the insurgency.

The Forgotten Years (1992-1998): Top 5 Players

2011-06-14T22:25:00.004-05:00

5. Brian Blades (WR, 1992-1998)
Brian Blades arrived in Seattle at the tail end of the Ground Chuck era, but he spent most of his career toiling (and thriving) in The Forgotten Years. He was a solid, consistent producer who rarely had the benefit of having an elite QB delivering the ball. Blades peaked in 1994, putting up a career best 81 catches and 1086 yards. Those numbers are even more impressive when you consider he had Rick Mirer and Dan McGwire throwing the ball at him (not TO HIM- AT HIM). As a lifetime Seahawk, and the 2nd most prolific receiver in franchise history, he probably deserves to eventually be added to the Ring of Honor. Here's a cool Blades TD:

4. Joey Galloway (WR, 1995-1998)
Brian Blades' Seahawks CAREER is more impressive than Joey Galloway's, but this list is about the period from 1992-1998- And there was no more electrifying, exciting Seahawk during The Forgotten Years than Joey Galloway. In terms of raw athletic ability, he might have been the most talented WR who has ever played for Seattle. He also might be the only wideout in team history who you legitimately thought "any time he touches the ball, he could score."

There's a reason I usually wore a Galloway jersey from 1995-1998, and we shouldn't let his hideously ugly exit from Seattle (holding out for most of 1999, then playing like shit, then forcing a trade- thankfully Dallas Idiot Jerry Jones gave us TWO first round picks for Galloway) erase the joy he brought the Twelve Army over these four seasons. He was also a dangerous punt returner, scoring four return TDs in addition to his 37 receiving TDs (including this one):

3. Chris Warren (RB, 1992-1997)
You know how a lot of Seahawks fans detested Shaun Alexander's running style, complaining that he wasn't tough or hard-nosed enough? Well, the 2nd most productive back in team history heard a lot of the same crap during his time in Seattle- like Alexander, he was a glider who often looked to be running with less than full effort... But once he found a hole, he ran with deceptive power and speed- and was the Seahawks' all-time leading rusher until Mr. Alexander came along. Ladies and Gents, Chris Warren:

Warren would post four 1000-yard seasons, and make three trips to the Pro Bowl. His most impressive accomplishment might have been his 1017-yard season in 1992. Surrounded by the worst offense in NFL history, and with the opposition KNOWING he was Seattle's only viable offensive weapon, he still ground out 4.6 yards per carry. HOW? Impressive, however he did it.

2. Michael Sinclair (DE, 1992-1998)
Sinclair is one of the most unfairly forgotten players in team history- Only Jacob Green has more sacks as a Seahawk, and no one in Seattle history has forced more fumbles. He was selected to the Pro Bowl three times, and absolutely terrorized enemy QBs in 1998 with 16.5 sacks. One reason he has faded from memory is terrible luck- He spent his career on a fairly nondescript, non-playoff team. Another reason? He was playing next to one of the greatest defensive players of all time.

1. Cortez Kennedy (DT, 1992-1998)
I've talked about Tez before, but the dude is always worthy of more discussion. Sometimes I like to try to talk myself into the idea that Kenny Easley was the 3rd greatest Seahawk ever after Jones and Largent, but let's be frank: It's Tez. For an entire decade, he was a DOMINANT force in the middle for Seattle, stifling opposing rushing attacks and creating absolute chaos for enemy QBs. His litany of accomplishments is amazing- Here's the big ones:

-1992 NFL Defensive Player of the Year
-8-time Pro Bowler (2nd in Seahawks history, behind only Walter Jones' 9)
-3-time All-Pro (2nd in Seahawks history, behind only Walter Jones' 4)
-58 QB sacks (3rd in franchise history, 1st among Seahawks DTs)

A while back, Pro Football Reference made the case for Tez to be in the Hall of Fame... Clare Farnsworth did likewise. In a few years time, The Seahawks should have three players in Canton: Steve Largent, Walter Jones, and Cortez Kennedy. When Tez gets in, I will be there at his induction. That moment, more than anything, will dignify The Forgotten Years.

For all the Twelves who endured The Forgotten Years, Kennedy's ascension to the Hall of Fame will (in some small way) help justify all the time we spent devoted to a team owned by a carpet-bagging Californian that was only occasionally entertaining, and mostly bad-to-mediocre. We will be able to say "I watched the career of Hall-of-Famer Cortez Kennedy." Believe me when I tell you- That is a pretty exclusive club.

What do you think, sirs?

The Forgotten Years (1992-1998): Top 10 Players (6-10)

2011-06-13T19:27:00.005-05:00

First, the ground rules- History isn't as neat and clean as we'd like sometimes, and some great Seahawk careers of the Knox and Holmgren eras bled a bit into the forgotten years. This exercise is about honoring the increasingly faded memories of '90s Seahawks, so I will focus on players whose primary contribution to team history came between 1992 and 1998. A partial list of players banned (so to speak) from consideration:

-Chad Brown (1997-1998)
-Jeff Bryant (1992-1993)
-Joe Nash (1992-1995)
-Walter Jones (1997-1998)
-Rufus Porter (1992-1994)
-Eugene Robinson (1992-1995)
-Mack Strong (1994-1998)
-John L. Williams (1992-1993)

Here's the bottom half of my top 10:

10. Steve Broussard (KR/RB, 1995-1998)
The former Wazzu superstar ended his NFL career in Seattle mostly as a workhorse kickoff returner- His 165 kick returns and 3900 kickoff return yards are both franchise records. His 23.6 average per return is comparable to two of the most famous kick returners in team history: Charlie Rogers and Bobby Joe Edmonds (Broussard's numbers are slightly better than Edmonds', slightly worse than Rogers'). Broussard also had some brilliant flashes as a running back- Here's one:

9. Pete Kendall (LG, 1996-1998)
8. Kevin Mawae (C/RG 1994-1997)
Both these players became much more well-known AFTER leaving Seattle, but they anchored a surprisingly decent offensive line in the mid-90s, opening up holes for Chris Warren and keeping Warren Moon relatively clean.

7. Warren Moon (QB, 1997-1998)
It's fairly depressing that the best Seahawks QB between Krieg and Hasselbeck was a 41-year-old originally signed to back up John Melvin "Deep" Friesz, but here we are. The Seattle years are a largely forgotten chapter in Moon's Hall of Fame career to those outside of South Alaska, but for a brief period he played QB as well as anyone else in team history. Moon (albeit in a smaller number of games) put up QB rating, yards per game and yards per attempt numbers almost identical to Krieg's and Hasselbeck's during his Seahawks tenure.

Two side notes: Moon almost bumped Dave Krieg as Seattle's QB in 1984, but decided to sign with the Oilers rather than the Seahawks coming out of the CFL. Also, I owned a Warren Moon Seahawks jersey, and it looked AWESOME. After he signed with the Chiefs, I stupidly gave it away to my best friend's girlfriend at the time... still regret that. Here's a sweet Moon TD pass:

6. Darryl Williams (FS, 1996-1998)
Williams spent most of his career with the Bengals, but the peak of his career was in Seattle, where he made his lone Pro Bowl appearance after the 1997 season. His 20 Seahawk-era interceptions are equal to the pick totals of Marcus Trufant and Shawn Springs, and he was an intimidating force in the deep middle of the Seattle defense. In other words? He could fuck shit up. Observe:

Yeah, I've linked to that a lot. So what? It's AWESOME.

There you go- Top 5 coming soon. Who do you think it will be, sirs?