Is Anti-South Alaska Bias Keeping Ricky Watters Out of Canton?

Last night I went to a Columbus Clippers game (They're Cleveland's AAA affiliate), and I showed off my new Nike Marshawn Lynch Seahawks jersey. Everyone who reacted to it seemed to share two attributes: A) They were young and B) They LOVED it. Multiple times dudes yelled "BEAST MODE!" at me, and one guy simply said "fucking SWEET" as I walked by. You are correct, random bro: It IS fucking sweet. I'm convinced that if the Seahawks are any good this year, those new Nike jerseys are going to FLY off the shelves... but that's not why I'm blogging today. I saw an amazing sight at the game- Another Seahawks fan, in a loved-to-death Ricky Watters jersey (Hell, it could have been MY jersey. I sold my Watters on eBay a decade ago). Here we are...

                        

Meeting that Twelve made me think about Ricky Watters, his Seahawks years and his larger NFL legacy. Go take a look at his career stats on Pro Football Reference, and you'll have the same question that has been gnawing at me: Why is this guy not even SNIFFING the Hall of Fame?

To the casual NFL fan, if they remember Ricky Watters, they remember one of two things: His role with the XXIX Champion 49ers, and/or his infamous "For who? For what" comment when asked about not laying out over the middle to make a catch while playing for the Eagles. To those folks, the idea of Watters having a bust in Canton largely seems ridiculous.

Go back to PFR and look at his numbers: 5 Pro Bowls, 8 thousand-yard seasons, 91 career touchdowns, and almost 15,000 yards from scrimmage. Of the 10 players that PFR records as having careers "similar" to Watters, 6 are in the Hall of Fame (and the other four are Tiki Barber, John L. Williams, Roger Craig, and Fred Taylor). He was one of the most dangerous offensive weapons of the 1990s, and yet his name never seems to seriously come up in Hall of Fame discussions (you can't even pull that "he never won a ring" shit with him either). Why?

You could argue that his reputation as a selfish player hurts his candidacy, but there are ALL manner of reprobates enshrined in the Hall of Fame. No. Watters' greatest crime against the game? He chose to take his talents to South Alaska. It didn't matter that he was playing some of the best football of his career- Once he moved to Seattle (and to a team that appeared in one playoff game in his four Seattle seasons), he may as well have signed with the Mars Greenskins. To the NFL intelligentsia, he disappeared for good.

Watters' three full seasons with the Seahawks were all among the five best statistical efforts of his decade-long career, but he wasn't chosen for the Pro Bowl in 1998, 1999 or 2000. Somehow, better seasons than he had in Philadelphia or San Francisco were discounted because he was wearing blue, green and silver. Imagine that Watters finished his career that strongly playing for the Chicago Bears or the New York Giants- Do you really think he'd still be waiting for his bust? Nope. Me either.

Watters was pushed out of the starting line-up by a young Shaun Alexander, who just happened to be the greatest running back in franchise history- Before that, he had what was arguably the best 3-year performance by a Seattle running back before Alexander's 2003-2005 rampage. He's part of a proud history of Seahawks running backs/fullbacks: Curt Warner, John L. Williams, Chris Warren, Mack Strong, Alexander and Marshawn Lynch. His place in our franchise's history should be secure- it's just sad that choosing to play for Seattle probably cost him greater NFL immortality.

What do you think, sirs?

The Seahawks Will Make You Forget About The Thunder

The team formerly known as the Seattle Supersonics is in the NBA Finals, and the mood among Seattle sports fans is absolutely toxic. Even though I was never a Sonics fan, their departure for dusty, windblown Oklahoma City wounded me as well. A vast population of my fellow Seahawks fans, of my fellow Washingtonians, saw a team they loved and cherished abandon them- abandon their devotion, their passion, and their emotional (not to mention financial) support. It wasn't that long ago that this almost happened to the Twelve Army (and who knows.. maybe it did in some alternate timeline). I can't even fathom what that would have done to me. For a committed, passionate sports fan a team moving away is equivalent to death. A part of me would have died if the Seahawks had moved to L.A. 15 years ago, so I become almost physically ill when I ruminate on what Sonics fans must be going through right now, on top of the humiliation and pain they've already endured.

I've never been a fan of any Seattle team besides the Seahawks, but sports fans back home deserve some fucking JOY. Two of the city's major pro sports teams have fled the area (hell, the Seattle Pilots left after ONE FUCKING YEAR, and were only replaced with the Mariners after the threat of Federal intervention against MLB), and EVERY major professional team has come close to fleeing at one point or another. As if the constant fear of abandonment isn't horrifying enough, Seattle's pro teams haven't exactly left their trophy cases over-stuffed with Championships. Yes, the Sonics won in 1979. When I was 4. Yes, the Storm won a title- Huzzah for them, of course... but fairly or not, conquering the WNBA doesn't quite slake Seattle's thirst for winning. I heard the Sounders won SOMETHING, but I'm not quite sure how significant it was (and let's be fucking real- is MLS even the global soccer equivalent of AAA baseball?). This is America, and the sports fans of a major American metropolis like Seattle want any or all of the following things: Super Bowl win, NBA title, World Series win, or a Stanley Cup.

Until Chris Hansen's dreams blossom into glorious reality, the only chances Seattle fans have for ultimate "Fuck All Y'all!" glory come from the Mariners and the Seahawks. I'm not going to be a dick and crap all over the M's, but ask any fan- They're not on a path that will lead to a pennant, let alone a World Series victory, in the immediate future. The great hope, the vessel than could soothe decades of anger, frustration, and agony with the balm only won with a Championship- That would be your Seattle Seahawks.

Skeptics abound- around the nation and even within the Seahawks' own fan base. They'll say the Seahawks have gone 14-18 in the regular season under Pete Carroll. They'll nitpick. They'll jump on any bit of negativity and doubt to tell you "See! SEE??? Carroll is doomed to fail!" They'll tell you lame USC-related jokes that they think are clever on a Louis CK level, and you'll have to resist the urge to punch them in the face. They'll ignore a defense that is primed to become one of the very best in the NFL- A unit that might be of Super Bowl-quality THIS year. They'll ignore an offense that only needs better QB play (not even ELITE QB play) and normal health among the linemen to drive Seattle into a deep playoff run. I look at the 2012 Seahawks and see 10 wins and the playoffs- but the ceiling could be even higher. Like the 1999 Rams or 2000 Ravens, these Seahawks might go directly from a losing season to a World Championship. No, I am not kidding or whacked out on Bath Salts.

We could be close to the lowest, most depressing moment in the history of Seattle professional sports. If Clay Bennett hoists the Larry O'Brien Trophy in a week or so, Seattle's profane cries of agony will ring out from coast to coast. And yes, millions of assholes will tell Seattle to "get over it." That should sound familiar to most Seahawks fans.

I'm here to tell you that there won't be time to wallow. In just a couple of months Earl Thomas will make you forget about Kevin Durant. Marshawn Lynch will push Serge Ibaka from your consciousness. Kam Chancellor will make you say "Westbrook? Who?" Doug Baldwin will distract you from your rage toward Howard Schultz. Great, entertaining, winning football is coming- and I believe Pete Carroll will bring a  Major Professional Championship to Seattle for the first time in most of our memories.

That being said... Fuck OKC. Seriously. Fuck those assholes.

What do you think, sirs?

Junior Seau's Warning

Junior Seau's death, like the death of anyone so young, is a tragedy. No one really knows the pain he must have been enduring- or the demons he was battling- before he took his own life. There are no easy answers for his friends, loved ones, and teammates (but if you or someone you know is thinking about suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline NOW). There is no single cause for his death, but he's now a part of a somber, growing fraternity of NFL veterans who have taken their own lives, including Dave Duerson and Ray Easterling. In each of these cases, brain trauma from years of punishment on the gridiron appeared to be a contributing factor.

It's becoming clear that the game we love needs to adapt and evolve or it will perish. I have worshiped this sport for 30 years, but it simply will not exist in any recognizable form 30 years from now if it fails to achieve an acceptable level of safety. Will fans abandon the game? Of course not. In fact, as the game adapts to the 21st century MILLIONS of fans will decry the changes needed to ensure greater player safety. No- If the game dies, it will be because of litigation and (perhaps more importantly) parents refusing to let their children play football. If football is seen as inherently unsafe, the next Ray Lewis may instead become the next Ray Allen- and over time the quality of play will decline with the quality of the athletes on the field.

Over 100 years ago, college football was a death sport. In 1905, 18 college football players were KILLED on the field, and 159 were severely injured. At that point, President Roosevelt threatened to ban the sport via executive order. With the fear of TR now shaking them to the core, college football's leaders introduced rule changes that started to make football look like the game we love today: The forward pass was legalized, the "Flying V" was banned, and a "neutral zone" with 6 players on the line of scrimmage was established. By 1912, another spate of fatalities resulted in changing the value of field goals from 4 points to 3, and touchdowns from 5 points to 6. Like Don Draper said once: "Change is neither good nor bad, it simply is. It can be greeted with terror or joy, a tantrum that says 'I want it the way it was,' or a dance that says, Look, something new!'"

I love big hits. I love the violence inherent to the game of football. But I don't love stupid, needless mayhem. I think that if the game can be made safer, we should make every effort to do so. I'd rather have football without kickoffs than no football at all. I'd rather have football without blows to the head than be forced to watch MLS games on fall Sundays. I'd rather see too many flags for late hits and head shots than too many players debilitated after their careers. The rules of the game will evolve in the decades to come- just like they always have. Hell, it used to be legal to clothes-line opposing players and SLAP THEM IN THE HEAD AS HARD AS YOU COULD. Anyone think we should go back to that era?

In addition to rule changes, there's hope that advances in technology can create helmets and pads that offer better protection for players, and that growing medical knowledge will increase our understanding of head injuries (and keep injured players off the field). Beyond that, the NFL MUST provide greater support and more comprehensive long-term health care for former players. It seems perverse to profit from these men risking their health on NFL fields only to leave them to fend for themselves once they are used up, doesn't it? The next time I hear anyone bitch about how much money NFL players make, I'll suggest that THEY run head first into a brick wall a few thousand times- That might shift their perspective.

I love this game- but I don't just love it for the violence. It CAN be safer and still be extremely compelling and entertaining. I want guys like Doug Baldwin, Earl Thomas and Matt Flynn to have long, healthy lives after football, and I don't want to have to explain to my grandchildren what football WAS- I want to watch it with them.

What do you think, sirs?

Walk Unafraid with PCJS

This is the wrong place to look for informed draft analysis. I don't watch college football with any sort of focus, and the ONLY Seahawks draftee that I had heard of before last weekend was QB Russell Wilson. Anything that I would tell you about the 10 men Seattle just drafted would just be regurgitation of something I read somewhere else. What can I tell you today in the aftermath of the draft?

Pete and John have a plan. They are sticking to it. And they don't give a fuck what you, I or Mel Kiper Jr. think. They understand on a fundamental level that the sole criteria they'll be judged on is postseason success- not April draft grades or fanpanics that flare up on talk radio or twitter. They have a constituency of one: Paul Allen. Until his patience wears thin, PCJS will be given wide latitude to build this team as they see fit.

Think about how LITTLE is left of the 2009 Seahawks. Hell, even the uniforms are different now. By kickoff weekend this September, there will probably be about a half-dozen players left on our roster who donned those bright green MoraHawks jerseys. Naysayers can point to Carroll's 14-18 regular season record, but it takes breathtaking ignorance to miss the progress that has already been made: A vastly younger, faster, more aggressive roster that is led by a defense already among the league's top 10 units. PCJS' 2012 draft was designed with a singular purpose: to finish the construction of a championship-level defense. To paraphrase Emperor Palpatine- This fall the NFL shall witness the firepower of this fully armed and fully operational battle station!

Are PCJS gambling a bit on the offense progressing with pieces they already have on hand? Doy. They are betting that the offensive line regresses back to a normal level of overall health. They are betting that Matt Flynn or Russell Wilson emerges as the QB that can shepherd us to playoff success (sorry T-Jack... Don't see you making the Kickoff Weekend roster. I hope you prove me wrong). They are betting that Lynch and Turbin can tenderize enemy defenses, and that multiple solid contributors emerge from the crowded WR corps. But if the defense fulfills its frightening potential, the offense doesn't need to be dominant for Seattle to become a Super Bowl contender- It just needs to be above average (particularly at avoiding giveaways and controlling the ball).

Do you think ANYONE working at ESPN understands this? Do you think any of them has spent more than a few minutes learning about our team in recent months? No. They're too busy stalking New York back-up QBs to truly understand anything going down in South Alaska. So when PCJS fail to step the narrow path they've laid, the Seahawks get blasted on every "platform" at the World Wide Leader's disposal.

The great news is that PCJS completely, blissfully ignore this crap. Why shouldn't we do likewise? Why should ANY Twelve internalize this un-informed negativity, let alone AGREE with it?

A few minor summer transactions aside, the 2012 Seahawks have been assembled. I wish I could see them take the field tomorrow, because this will be a season not just of growth, but of triumph. Be joyful, Twelves. Let Fearless be your middle name.

Am I About to Flip-Flop on "12th Man" jerseys?

Over four years ago, near the dawn of this blog, I wrote this:

"To me, the 12 jersey is a cop out; It tells me you don't have the onions to commit to a current player on the roster. The jersey you wear says a lot, and to me a #12 jersey says you don't really like anyone on the team all that much."


Up until today, that was still pretty much my point of view. What has me wavering? What has me thinking about getting a #12 "FAN" jersey for the first time since I got a cheapo KIRO promotional version back in the 80s?

A) The cheapest Nike Seahawks jerseys are going to be not $70, not $80, but $100. Damn you to hell, Phil Knight. Even with the gift card money I got for my birthday, that's pricey.

B) I'm underemployed and not exactly flush with cash these days.

C) Even if I pinpoint a player who is young (or at least not OLD) and at the start of his contract, that player could still get hurt... and I HATE having to wear an injured player's jersey. This is why I've typically had at least two jerseys in my "rotation."

Since I'm not likely to be able to afford a 2nd jersey for a spell, the arguments in favor of a #12 jersey are starting to look more persuasive: Mainly the unique relationship between the team and its fans (The 12th Man Flag ceremony, the retirement of the #12, etc), and the simple fact that #12 isn't going to get injured, cut, or traded. If one takes proper care of their #12 jersey, it'll be "current" for a good long while.

Just to dwell on the tradition for a bit: The Seahawks are still the only NFL team that has retired the number 12 for the fans. If Tom Brady or Aaron Rodgers came to the Seahawks, they'd have to switch numbers (unless they could successfully bribe all of us). That's pretty fucking awesome, and if anyone asks why you're wearing a jersey with "FAN" on the back, that's an opportunity to drop said awesomeness upon that Philistine.

I'm trying HARD to talk myself into this, aren't I? I'm not really convincing myself about it, though. What do y'all think? Does the price tag of the new Nike jerseys make a #12 model more appealing to you? Who do you think is closer to the truth? 2008 me or 2012 me? Deep down, I still want a Lynch jersey... but dammit, running backs get hurt. A lot.

What do you think, sirs?