It's been a while since we've updated our nicknames with some of the newer players on the team, so I thought I'd quickly run a few guys through the anagram generator and see if anything enjoyable came out.  Here are some o' the results:

 

Endy Chavez:

Ad Chevy Zen

 

David Aardsma:

Sad Dad Via Arm (Potentially a perfect name of him)

 

Chris Jakubauskas:

Jackass Haiku Rubs

 

Franklin Gutierrez:

Franternize Lurking

Flakier Zinger Runt

Rear Infringe Klutz

Referral Gunk In Zit

 

Mark Lowe:

Leak Worm

Male Work

Walk More

 

Ronny Cedeno:

No Nerdy Cone

 

Russell Branyan:

Arras Belly Nuns

Urbanely Snarls

Sly Anal Burners

Run Blarney Lass

 

Rob Johnson:

Bros On John

 

Shawn Kelley:

Shank Ye Well

 

 

In trying to figure out some things about what's gone wrong this season, something occurred to me.  One reason I've been so consistently surprised over the first half of the year is that every report on the defense has been so positive.  Evening as we continue losing games, the word out of practice has commonly been "the defense looked good today, making some interceptions and batting down passes."  That's the word out of camp today, again.

 

And then I started to wonder, maybe that's because our offense has become so broken down by injuries.  As a consequence, maybe the defense is suffering because they're consistently practicing against inferior competition?  They get used to the speed and execution of Charlie Frye throwing to Jordan Kent, and then get into a real game and they're just a half-step behind?

 

This is totally off-the-cuff and sort of inconsequential, just something that occurred to me, thought I'd share it.

There's been an awful lot of Brian Russell bashing going on lately, on some larger sites, too.  And most of it's deserved.  You know why?  Because Brian Russell is football's answer to Darin Erstad.  He's white, gritty, doesn't really do much very well, and he used to be a QB/punter way back in the day, and can claim that as a reserve skill.

Brian Russell is a jack of all trades, just as able to throw a tight spiral into an empty area on the field as he is to defend an empty area on the field. 

Bleah.

So, I'm a long-time Seahawks fan who lives in Portland, OR.  As such, I've had a number of things to be upset about with the beginning of this season.

 

First off, you guys beat the tar out of my team.  Good job with that, I wish we'd won, of course, but I developed a lot of respect for your squad.  Especially after you backed it up with a win against Jacksonville, I think you guys might have something developing!

 

The other complaint I have, however, is that Portland, for God only knows what reason, is home to a lot of Oakland Raider fans.  As such, every Sunday we're subject to watching the Oakland Raiders on TV as long as it doesn't interfere with the Seahawks broadcast.  This, needless to say, is an abysmal development, as the Raiders are both utterly hateable and completely awful.

 

But, you guys are playing them this week.  So I'm looking forward to getting another chance to see your promising team thrash another opponent, and take some pleasure from watching Al Davis blow another blood vessel.

 

This week and the weeks that follow, Buffalo, I'm rooting for you from afar!  It's not like the investment I have in my own team, of course, but you're my AFC adopted team of the year.  So go win a game and make the Raiders look bad!

Every year, every team has a certain number of hardships they have to endure.  A few significant injuries, an upsetting loss where they had hopes of victory, a bizarre move by the FO that doesn't really make sense at the time. 

The Seahawks have decided to test our spirits by going through all their bad luck at the same time.  We're getting blasted from all angles over the last three days, and it's definitely been trying.  But we'll rally, pull together, and from adversity we'll bounce back and still be a quality team. 

It'll be a hell of a lot more satisfying to win this division when we're overcoming so many hurdles, not just winning by default.   From the hardships will come our rewards, and the rewards shall be all the more sweet.

(And before anyone gets too worked up, I know there isn't a limit to good or bad fortune within a season, I'm just playing the good humor man here.)

So, Frank Hughes has a quick piece up over on Seahawks Insider about the implications of James Farrior's new contract extension with the Steelers.  Hughes thinks that Farrior signing a contract worth near 3.5 mil per will established the market for Leroy Hill at about 5 or 6 million per, since Hill is younger and with a higher upside.

 

Now, John's been quietly convincing me over the last year or so that Leroy Hill seems like one of the more undervalued pieces on this team.  I'm not sure he's the most significant contributor on the defense, but his versatility is extremely useful, and he's still young and developing.  We've got a good one already, and he could be great with a little more growth. 

 

We also, however, have some genuine depth at linebacker right now.  Hawthorne's emergence this preseason is giving me some hope that we're sitting pretty at the position for the next few years to come, with Lofa locked up and Muscly Arm still not that old.  Our linebackers corps might be the best in the league, and I think we can continue to keep it so, if we choose to lay out the money and keep Hill. 

 

My question for you is:  Should we?  Lofa's already making 7 million per, Peterson's making a pretty hefty amount too, if we give Hill the contract he'll get on the open market (much less the contract he deserves), that's a very large percentage of our salary cap going towards just the LB's.  Does it make sense to be REALLY great at LB at the expense of say, perhaps, Rocky?  Or should we shed either Hill or Muscly Arm next year?

 

I genuinely don't have an answer, I just know that I would hate to see Hill leave.  But, I also don't think we need to be investing 25+ million on the linebackers alone.  Oh, the indecision!

 

So, I don't know who amongst you is as ready for the Seahawks as I am.  I know John Morgan went up today to take a look at this morning's scrimmage in person, and I think he might regret the fact that he chose this one to go see, considering that it's on tv here in Portland on channel 49 (Northwest News?). 

 

Just wanted to let people know that there's a chance they might get it in their region if they're so inclined.  No biggie, but I'm simply aching for football now!   It's on in 15 minutes!

 

 

Footballoutsiders is reporting that the Broncos and John Lynch have agreed to part ways, and goes on to speculate that Ruskell might want to grab up Lynch.  Apparently Ruskell originally scouted Lynch back in TB, and wouldn't be adverse to switching him out for Russell. 

 

Thoughts?  Considering Russell seems like nothing but useless, if he comes for cheap, I'd have no objection to this.  It's a stopgap, but every little piece could make this a superbowl team, in my opinion.  We're near good enough, but every addition can only help.

I just saw over on Footballoutsiders that the Chargers are going to send Eric Parker on his way.  I don't know much about the man, but apparently he has good skillz.  Is there anyone out there who is in favor of adding him to the Seahawks, providing a little depth at Wide Receiver?

 

I know we've got some studly young prospects who might turn out to be values, but we certainly have some questions right now.  Maybe this is an answer?  I'm not advocating, I'm just polling opinions.

So I'm curious.  For many, many years my sports allegiance ran first and foremost to baseball, and the Seattle Mariners.  I lived and died with baseball, and the thing I wanted more than anything in the sporting world was a World Series victory.

I've by no means given up on the Mariners as a franchise, I love baseball, and I'll never stop pulling for them.  But over the last few years, watching a shrewd and resourceful front office like the Seahawks possess artfully construct a competitive team, I've really come to love and watch football with a much greater passion than I ever thought possible.

This isn't all about winning and making the playoffs, though I'll readily admit that that plays a part.  But I'm so tired of the horrid steps and jumps backwards that the evil and charismatic Mr. Bavasi makes as a matter of course.  With this Mariner season already likely on the skids, I find myself still watching and following the team, but already shifting a little interest over to football.  I'm anticipating the 'Hawks so early this year....

I guess I'm just slowly shifting priorities.  I'll never abandon either franchise, I'm not saying that at all.  I'm just looking forward to the Seahawks so much more than the Mariners that it isn't really even a competition anymore.  Is anybody else going through this transformation?   Obviously we're all Seahawks fans (seattlesucks notwithstanding!), but I'm curious how passionately people follow one sport or the other, and how that might be different than 5 years ago.  Do we have any other converts from die-hard baseball fans to revelers of the fusball?

Damn, I just can't wait to watch our defense this year....

Just saw a link over on FO, somebody's been having some fun with the wiki page for Taco Wallace.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taco_Wallace

Check it out, it's one of the more enjoyable 3-minute reads I've encountered in a while.
                                                                                                 

http://www.lasagnacat.com/

One of the more enjoyable things I've seen in a little while.  The first one in particular warms my heart.

Meanwhile, it snowed last night!  Huzzah for snow, says I!  Here's hoping for more!

                                                                           

Apparently Mr. Holmgren's future status will be revealed to those of us wanting to know.

Predictions from people?  Personally, I think he's going to come back for another season, though I really don't want to see that.  I love Holmgren, and I always enjoy the Walrus jokes, but this team is ready to go another direction, I believe.

Anyway, time to go wait....

A dream about the Seahawks.  This is a first time occurrence for me, as much as a sports fan as I am, I've never had them invade my hours of slumber before.

In the dream, the Seahawks' D proved it's mettle against the Green Bay Packers, and we held our own through the first half.  We managed to tie the score, 11-11 (?!), and then midway through the third quarter we began to drive.

Pass after pass, a flurry of stinging darts picking off 6, 8 yards at a time, slowly sapping the Pack of their vitality.  We edged closer and closer to the end zone, and with 1 minute left in the third quarter, stood at first and goal from the 5 yard line.  There was a lot of time left in the game, yet somehow we all knew (for in my dream, I watched this game with all of you), that with that touchdown came victory.  

The snap.  I'm horrified to realize that for some reason Charlie Frye, who looks exactly like Seneca Wallace, has come into the game at QB.  He stares down his receiver left, but no one springs open.  A quick shift to the right, and there's no time, the pass rush is upon him.  WallaceFrye moves as if to throw the ball away, then stops, quickly drops back a half step, and drop punts the ball through the uprights.

We all freeze, for we know that by the rules of football, this somehow counts as a rouge for the Packers.  The result of the play is a single point alloted, plus a turn over in possession.  

Where just a moment ago the triumph of success stirred within us, an end so bitter as to satisfy the morbid masochism of any Seattle sports fan was all we had left.  No one was even angry, it was simply pure disbelief that such a thing could happen.

Thank god this was only a dream, and you can't give up a rouge when you punt from the 5-yard line, otherwise I'd be worried I'm a prophet.  

Anyway, just thought I'd share.  It was an odd way to wake up.  Obviously I've got football fever, here's hoping that the run doesn't vanish today.

GO HAWKS!!

So, I'm sure that no one on here realized why the Seahawks fortunes turned so quickly yesterday.  We'd played well in the first half, but never quite put it away.  Then in a 4 minute span, the Redskins took everything away from us, scoring two tds and looking set up for a FG.  Things were bleak, and I was sick to my stomach.

So, in a fit of hopeful fear, I reached across and started tousling Phildopip's hair.  We needed some new mojo.  And within seconds, a missed FG!  

I then proceeded to utilize Phil's head for the rest of the game.  Any play where I didn't give it a thorough rub, the Redskins made progress back against us.  Any play where I did, we proved unstoppable.  I'm not kidding, it was like rally cookies, but three times more effective.  The influence was astounding!

In the end, the game turned into an easy victory by the conclusion, and while I of course know that it's bullshit, I nonetheless attribute the entire thing to my friend's melon.

All Hail Rally Head!

Frank Hughes has our opponents and the home/away things laid out for next season, and I've got to admit, I'm a little afraid.

Home: Arizona, St. Louis, San Francisco, New England, Green Bay, Washington, Philadelphia, New York Jets

Away: Arizona, St. Louis, San Francisco, Miami, New York Giants, Tampa Bay, Buffalo, Dallas

Our division is still weak, but both Arizona and St Louis are likely going to be better next year, and could take their games at home against us.  

I think NE, GB, and Philly could all potentially take the game from us at Qwest (maybe not Philly, and we'll see if GB survives the QB questions).

On the road, I could see us dropping the games in TB, Buffalo, and Dallas.  None of these are for certain, but besides the games in our division, there are only a couple of games I see as easy wins.

I hope the offensive line gets a little better before next season, and that we retain Trufant.  Yeeks.  

If we go 10-6 with that schedule, I'll be pretty pleased.  Better than that, and I'll be thinking Superbowl.

So, we've got the division locked up for the 4th time in a row, and the team seems to be playing well enough to win most games.  We're rarely playing up to our full potential, I feel, though this game against Arizona felt pretty good.  The team came out with a lot of passion and executed on a lot of plays, nothing too fancy, but good football all around.  

The defense has been excellent, and the offense is showing signs of returning to top-10 form, particularly if Branch and Hackett are healthy, and Burly's modest contributions continue.  We're getting to the place in the season where things are starting to settle into patterns, and we can start to see what we'll be facing in the playoffs, and I'm curious, how do you guys feel about things?  

Vikings:

If the playoffs happened today, the Minnesota Vikings would come to Qwest to take on the Seahawks.  I, for one, am rather frightened of a Vikings team that features a stout defense and an exceptionally talented and punishing young rusher in Purple Jesus, easily capable of breaking through the Hawks rather mediocre tackling.  I don't think it's impossible to win, particularly if the aerial assault is healthy and in shape, but it'd be tough.

Giants:

Right now the Giants are the 5th seed in the NFC, and would likely travel to Tampa Bay.  However, the Giants have a couple of very difficult games remaining on their schedule, and I think it's quite possible they'll slip down to 6th, and end up rolling into Seattle themselves.  This is a matchup I feel favors the Seahawks, as the Giants are a team of superlative athletes that don't quite match the cohesion and team depth of the Hawks.  We'll always have trouble with the Shockey's of the league, but we've shown ourselves capable of beating the Giants before, and I think we could do it again.

Saints:

The Saints took that game from us a couple of months ago, and it really put some fear into the fanbase that the Seahawks weren't legitimate contenders.  They've struggled in many facets of the game this season, but they're reestablishing themselves as of late, and stand a modest shot of making it.  Drew Brees remains a deadly weapon on the field, and their offense can still put up points.  However, Reggie Bush is hurt, and without him, I think the Seahawks have a very good chance against that team.

Tampa Bay:

I haven't seen these guys play since week 1 against us, and I still find it hard to believe their DVOA rankings, so I'm not going to comment on this one.  Anyone have any input on the matter?  

Redskins:

Still have an outside shot, but with Campbell down and their defense so inconsistent, I don't think the Redskins are much to be feared.

Cardinals:

The Cards have a very easy remaining schedule, but they're banged up after we busted 'em in the teeth last week, and I'm not sure they have a lot of heart left.  We'll see.  They're dangerous, certainly, especially if their wideouts get healthy, but we took them handily at home last week, and I think we could do it again come playoff time if need be.  

Lions:

I really don't think the Lions are any sort of remaining threat.  They had a chance to make a run for glory against the Cowboys there, really get back into it, and totally lost their chance.

So yeah, that's just a bit of how I see things shaping up.  It's possible that Green Bay stumbles a little bit, and we could manage a first round bye, in which case this all becomes moot, but I find that scenario highly unlikely.  I think, in the end, that we're going to have a first-round game in Seattle that we should be able, if not expected, to win.  

If we manage to hold onto the 3rd seed, and could go into Green Bay for the second round, that's something I think we'd have a chance at winning, too.  

This is largely lacking in statistical analysis, obviously, I'm just excited for the playoffs and wanted to generate a little conversation, see how people were feeling.  I'd welcome any and all viewpoints to the conversation, anyone have anything they particularly fear or look forward to, any specific matchups to watch out for?

 

Over at Seahawk Insider, there's some info from Shaun's interview earlier.  Alexander said that he's finally going to change his running style.

Instead of hitting the holes so hard and running upfield, he's going to hang back and wait for his blocks to develop....

No, seriously.  Alexander announced today that he's not going to be so aggressive in the coming games, but instead wants to take his time, let the offensive line open up some blocking lanes for him, and then waltz his way forward.

I'm pretty impressed with the brazenness of this reply... if only he demonstrated such courage in the face of NFL defensive players....

This is how bad the Bengals want this win.  Unfortunately, they only have the strength of this little fella.

The laughing is what we'll be doing while we watch our wide receivers tear their secondary apart.  I want a solid win, here.  

{Scruffy's edit} I guess now is a good time to show off my shiny new Author controls

Sorry about the boldness I can't figure out how the editors note works. Anywho since Jimmiemoose already started it I will just add to it.

The Hawks will be ok as long as Green Man show up at the Game.



The Bengals Scare me kind of like this cat



There feisty but potentially harmless like these guys



And we have lazer cats to battle them



But I think the hawks will be alright. Hey Chad Johnson meet Josh Wilson



The Seahawks will trap the Bengals into a running game and squeak out with a win

http://www.footballoutsiders.com/2007/05/02/ramblings/four-downs/5123/

The general take seems to be that the Hawks did alright for themselves.  Still some concern over the TE situation, of course, but overall the Hawks picked up some solid talent.

Is there another thread around here where people are posting their picks for the big game tonight?  I have yet to see it, and I think it's time we all threw down.  Time to reveal our true passions and interests, and also how many beers we've already had at 11:30 in the morning.  

So I've been a big supporter of the Indy-as-football's-St. Louis Cardinals thing this year.  For some reason, with a much crappier team than they took the field with last year, I just felt like the Colts had something going for them, and that this would be the year that Peyton finally took the big one home.

Things have proceeded accordingly, and so it comes to the big game.  After much careful consideration, and reading and re-reading John Morgan's exquisite posts regarding the relative strengths and weaknesses of the two teams, I'm disregarding it all and sticking with my gut feeling.  

Colts take it home, 27-21.

Manning goes 28-38 for 301 yards, 2 tds, 2 picks

Sex Cannon goes 14-30 for 260 yards, 2 tds, and 2 picks.

The Moose has spoken...let it be so!

I missed the video previews this week since I was in CA with the family for Christmas, but after that game I felt a need for something.  I only caught the first half, but then most of the second on the radio...  There were encouraging signs, but in the end... damn.  This video is splendid for how I feel.

So, my brother has a pretty killer blog, where he writes about a number of interesting world events and whatnot.  He's also about as big of a Hawks fan as any of us here, and recently he posted some new lyrics on his blog.  I thought it worth reposting here, check 'em out.

"Jerramy"

(Sung to the tune of Pearl Jam's "Jeremy")

Wide open, drawing coverage ...from defensive backs
with him on top, yelling too much, tattooed arms raised in a v
Celebrating because he finally caught one

86 didn't give attention
Oh to the fact that the fans didn't care
King Jerramy the head case...oh

Jerramy quit on, quit on
Jerramy quit on...a play today

Clearly I remember drafting him in the first
Seemed a harmless little pick
Ooh, but we unleashed a head case...
Ran his mouth but dropped three passes in the Show...

How can I forget?

And he kneed me with a surprise in my groin
My balls left hurtin...ooh, dropped wide open
Just like on Sunday...the day he makes me cryyyyyyy

Holmgren didnt give affection, no...
And Hasselbeck swore he wouldn't caaaaaare

King Jerramy the dipshit...oh, ruled his world
Jerramy Stevens...go away
Jerramy Stevens...go away
Jerramy Stevens...go away

BOO BOO WOO HOO
BOO BOO BOO BOO
BOO BOO BOO BOO

Try to forget him...tr-yi-yi to forget him...
Time to cut him...ti-yi-yi-ime to cut him...

Jerramy dropped one, dropped one
Jerramy dropped one, dropped one...
Jerramy dropped one on Sunday

I'm working on recording a version of this.  

He does some decent Hawks coverage, and is generally pretty good all around, check it out if you so desire:

http://the-parallax-view.blogspot.com/