"Let's Hope the Ship Has a Captain"

"...People would like to think that there's somebody up there who knows what he's doing. Since we don't participate, we don't control and we don't even think about questions of vital importance. We hope somebody is paying attention who has some competence. Let's hope the ship has a captain, in other words, since we're not taking part in what's going on...

It is an important feature of the igeological system to impose on people the feeling that they really are incompetent to deal with these complex and important issues: they'd better leave it to the captain. One device is to develop a star system, an array of figures who are media creations or creations of the academic propaganda establishment, whose deep insights we are supposed to admire and to whom we must happily and confidently assign the right to control our lives and to control international affairs...."
- Noam Chomsky

The Josh Wilson trade reminds us how utterly unempowered and helpless we are as fans. We are emotionally connected and committed to a sports franchise, and when they make a move we hate, our options are pretty fucking limited. If you wanted to retort to the Chomsky quote above, you could at least argue that as citizens in a democracy we could force social change through various actions at the ballot box, and if need be, in the streets.

However, as sports fans, what can we do? We can vote with our dollars by refusing to buy tickets, merchandise, etc... but if you do that, then come back once the team starts winning again, you'll be labeled a fair-weather, bandwagon-jumping mother fucker.

So we can gnash our teeth, howl at the darkness, write brilliant, impassioned blog posts... but at the end of the day, unless we are willing to follow through with threats to cut off our financial support for the team, it's sound and fury signifying blah blah blah...

What am I going to do? I'm going to hope and pray to the ghost of Dave Brown that Pete Carroll knows what the fuck he's doing. I'm going to hold off judgement until I see what the results are on the field. Here are the best-and-worst-case scenarios:

Worst: Thurmond doesn't live up to Schneider and Carroll's expectations. Our pass defense blows this season, leading to a 6-10 or worse finish. Josh Wilson hoists the Lombardi Trophy as a Baltimore Raven next February, and the pick we got in return never amounts to jack shit.

Best: Thurmond is a fucking revelation. He helps lead a young talented secondary to great success, and helps the Seahawks back into the playoffs (thus easing the blow of whatever success Wilson enjoys in Baltimore). In addition, the pick acquired in the Wilson trade turns into a valuable, contributing player.

The reality will be somewhere between those two extremes. Carroll will ultimately be revealed as a genius, a buffoon, or some variety of mediocrity in the middle of that spectrum. We simply don't know, and will receive NO answers AT ALL until the Seahawks hit the field on September 12 against the Niners.

For now, I am choosing to believe. I am choosing optimism, because pessimism is just too fucking painful. I have faith in this team, even if I STRONGLY disagree with this trade.

I hate quoting that evil fucker down in Oakland, but Just Win, Baby.

Pretty Please?