Monday, December 24, 2012

Five Wishes on My Seattle Sports Christmas List

Well like everybody says, it's that time of the year again. Christmas is just around the corner, and I mean JUST around the corner, and most people are in that cheery type of mood again. Teams in Seattle have had their ups and downs this month, most notably the down of the Huskies, and the ups of the Seahawks, but in the end aren't all Seattle sports kind of bipolar in these kinds of ways? Christmas has ups and downs just like Seattle sports, the downs of gaining weight from all the great food, but the ups from getting presents, getting a break from school, and celebrating the life of Jesus Christ. Every year I look forward to Christmas, as I think many other people do as well, and always wonder what gifts I could be receiving. I usually make a list (even though I'm almost in college) and put my favorite desires on this list. Well this time I'm making the list a little bit differently. I'm creating a list of what 5 things/events I want, or want to occur, in Seattle sports that are within the realistic spectrum (so probably not a World Series championship for the M's). Here are the five items on my list.

1. Seahawks winning the Super Bowl

First off, I think this wish has a very realistic shot of happening. The Seahawks have been one of, if not, the hottest teams in the NFL the past couple of weeks and Russell Wilson just proved it again with an enormous win over the 49ers. Wilson had the highest QBR in week 16 out of every quarterback in the NFL, posting a 97.6 rating, and I think this goes to show how high of a level the Seahawks (and Russell Wilson) have been playing at the past couple of weeks. I mean it's crazy to think that they have outscored their opponents 150-30 the past three weeks. It still kills me to think we had losses against the Rams, Cardinals, and Dolphins. If we played them all again right now, I would have to believe that we would outscore all of them by at least 150-0 or some score around there. That's how good the Seahawks are playing right now (and how bad the other three teams are). The Seahawks will face the winner of the Dallas and Washington game in the first round of the playoffs and I believe that the Seahawks can go on the road and beat either of those teams. Nobody wants to play the Seahawks right now and if I were in the NFC, I would have nightmares of Richard Sherman and Russell Wilson (as long as Sherman's appeal goes as he said it went). The Seahawks will face a tough opponent if they win their first round playoff game, but they have faced at least 2 of the teams in the NFC playoffs before this season. The Seahawks will be prepared and if I was an opponent, boy would I be scared. This would be an awesome late Christmas present in February.

Wouldn't it be nice to see this on the cover page of the Seattle Times once again, except this time having Russell Wilson on it?

2. Seattle Arena is built and the city gets an NBA franchise within the next 5 years

I know, I know some of you may be asking how this is not number one on my list, but at the current moment, the Seahawks are tearing it up, if you haven't been watching. Also, there are years in the future where I can wish for Seattle to get an NBA franchise. I've learned that you always have to be patient. Anyways, I think that if the city of Seattle attained an NBA franchise within the next five years, it would energize every sports fan in the city. Well duh it would, but I mean that this event would probably boost ratings and attendance for every team in the city. People would get excited about the general scent of Seattle sports, maybe as strong of a scent that would catch the east coast's attention. Probably not though, knowing the east coast. Gotta love that east coast bias! But back to the point. With the construction of the Seattle arena, not only could an NBA franchise come to the city, but an NHL franchise could follow just as easily. Therefore, this would make Seattle one of the biggest sports cities in the nation, as long as the teams have success, and could even rival towns such as Boston (that only comes with HUGE success though). The acquisition of an NBA franchise has its positives up front, but has even more positives behind the smokescreen, such as the ones I just explained above. This would definitely make my Christmas a whole lot merrier.

3. The Mariners sign or trade for a superstar, or big power hitter

Everybody knows the Mariners need offense. The M's got some offense in their trade for Kendrys Morales this past week, but they still need a lot more. Like, a whole lot more offense. Some trade names that have been thrown out there in recent weeks are Carlos Gonzalez of the Rockies and Andre Eithier of the Dodgers. Both of those players would be hard to pry out of their respective team's hands and it would take one or more of the Mariners' big pitching prospects. However, I would give up one of those prospects for either of these bats. There are some other power bats that could be attained through trades, but I'll leave it to Jack Zduriencik to find out exactly who he wants. However, Raul Ibanez won't cut it, at all. After or if we sign or trade for a power bat, I think the Mariners should sign Michael Bourn. He would set the table nicely for the big power hitters and would always bring his stellar defense to the situation. An outfield of Michael Bourn, Franklin Gutierrez and Michael Saunders would be a very athletic and effective group. Either way, the Mariners need to make some more moves to improve their offense and Jack Z knows this. I also think he might know that it would make my Christmas a little bit better. Actually, probably a whole lot better. Hopefully Jack Z makes a move for not just me, but for all of Seattle soon after Christmas.

Andre Eithier could bolster the Mariner's offense in a big way.

4. Keith Price returns to his 2011 form in 2013

Fresh off a Vegas Bowl loss, this wish debuts at number four on my list. The Huskies were one of the most infuriating teams I've ever chosen to root for this year as their play-calling, decision making, performance and sometimes their effort were way below what I thought they were going to be at the beginning of the season. I think the reason for why this season was so frustrating to me was because I saw so much potential in this Huskies team. Sure, the first six games were tough, but the Huskies made it out of the gauntlet with a 3-3 record. I thought the season would have ended with a 9-3 record after the first six games, but probably more realistically an 8-4 record. Well sure enough, the regular season ended with a 7-5 record and in the end a 7-6 record was pulled out from the rubble. Leading the team this year was Keith Price and I thought he was poised for another outstanding year, but boy did he disappoint big time. After talking with Scott Enyeart yesterday, I think USC fans know what I'm talking about. Matt Barkley was poised for a Heisman caliber year and in the end it turned out to really be a dud of a season for Trojan fans. For once, Trojan and Huskies fans can relate in the ways that they feel. Oh what a jolly time Christmas is, friendships and all, but back to the point. It would make me so happy if Keith Price returns to his 2011 form in the 2013 season and depending on how well his year goes, this wish could end up being the best event I ever wished for! With a performance reminiscent of his 2011 season in the 2013 season, Keith Price could lead the Huskies to contend for a PAC-12 title.

5. Aaron Gordon announces that he will attend the University of Washington

This would be absolutely huge for Lorenzo Romar and the Dawgs. The Huskies desperately need a play-maker and star player, and they would be getting just that in Aaron Gordon. The Huskies are pretty darn boring to watch this year and the signing of Gordon would give a reason to all the Huskie's fans to come storming back to Alaska Airlines Arena. I know that I sure would. It looks like Arizona is the Huskie's biggest competition for Gordon as Kentucky already has a jam packed recruiting class, as they always do under Calipari. Gordon will likely make his choice after the college basketball season as he wants to see how each team on his lost performs throughout the year. I've also heard a rumor that Gordon is waiting to see what happens with Romar, as Romar could sprint off to UCLA if Howland is fired. I found these rumors hard to believe, but if it happens, you can say you read it here first (unless you read it somewhere else first...). A kid who is only 18 years old has the chance to make my Christmas. That's how good Aaron Gordon is.

Aaron Gordon would be a huge get for Lorenzo Romar and the Washington Huskies.


Honorable Mention: A surprise 5 or 4 star recruit for the Huskies football team, Sounders making it to the MLS Cup, Huskies make solid offensive coaching hires

As you can see, I dream big. All of these events have a realistic chance of happening and if they all do happen, the city of Seattle will go absolutely nuts. But on the other side of the spectrum, these wishes could all just as easily not happen and Seattle sports fans could be left to drown in their sorrows for once again another year. Obviously, I won't get instant gratification with any of these wishes as they will happen over time, being within the next year or five years, but I can live with that. I think Seattle sports fans, such as myself, have learned to be patient over the past 10 years or so. Don't worry, we can be patient again, we would just like to have our wishes come true once in a while.

Thanks for reading and follow us on Twitter @seasportssoup! Like us on Facebook as well! Keep checking back for more updates.

Marshall

Current State of the Seahawks

Pure domination. That is the best way to explain the victory that the Seahawks had over the 49ers on Sunday. The ‘Hawks dominated in all phases of the game: offensively, defensively, and especially on special teams. The offense was very efficient, scoring early and often with beast mode in full effect and Russell Wilson up to his usual spectacular ways. The defense was stout as well, only allowing six points in the first half, and zero in the second half until a meaningless, garbage time touchdown with less than two minutes to go in the game. Even the special teams played well the entire game, with a couple good returns from Leon Washington and the game-changing play, which was Red Bryant’s blocked field goal that led to Richard Sherman’s 90 yard return for a touchdown. When watching the game, my friend Joey Calabro, who you all should follow on Twitter @redmondsfinest, prophetically predicted the play would happen saying, “Red Bryant is due for a blocked field goal.” It was just pure perfection. From three points in the 49er’s favor to seven points in the Seahawk’s favor, I would say it was the turning point of the game. Instead of being a 14-6 game, it was a 21-3 game and the Seahawk’s had all the momentum. Clearly, the Seahawks dominated in brilliant fashion, and to top it all off, the game was on national television so the Seahawks might even get some recognition for their win.

Red Bryant's blocked field goal shifted the momentum towards the Seahawks way for the rest of the game.
TONY OVERMAN/The Olympian

So it’s clear that we won the game in convincing fashion, but you may ask, what does that mean for us? Well first of all, it clinches the Hawks a playoff spot and secondly, it gives us our first winning record since 2007. What’s even better is that the Hawks are now getting some national recognition. In ESPN’s newest power rankings (which came out this morning), it has the Seahawks at sixth, just behind the Patriots, Packers, 49ers, Falcons, and Broncos. Now before all of you fans complain that we shouldn’t be behind the Patriots, Packers, and 49ers because we beat them, think of the body of work over the entire season. Now the most important thing to be gleaned from last night’s victory over the 49ers is that the Seahawks are here and they are here to stay for a while. One of the recent trends in the NFL is that teams who peak at the end of the season and don’t necessarily clinch a playoff spot until week 16 or 17 are in fact the teams who make long playoff runs. Think about it. Last year, the Giants didn’t get in to the playoffs until they beat the Cowboys in week 17, and then they made a super bowl run. The year before that, Green Bay was decimated by injuries and barely made the playoffs until peaking late, and then they made a long super bowl run. The Seahawks are peaking at the right time and it seems like the kind of team that nobody wants to face in the playoffs. Plus, a top defense, top running game, and a quarterback who can make plays and doesn’t turn the ball over are things that we have, and are key components to a Super Bowl team.

The Seahawks will face the winner of the Cowboys-Redskins game in the first round of the playoffs.
Tom Pennington/Getty Images

However before we get to the Super Bowl, we will have to win three playoff games, most likely all on the road. At this point, it is almost certain that we will play our first round game against the winner of the NFC East, which will be solely determined by the Redskins and Cowboys game this Sunday. That begs the question, who would we rather play, the Redskins or the Cowboys? Personally, I don’t think it’s much of a question at all: we want to play the Cowboys. First of all, the Redskins are exactly the kind of desperate, peaking at the right time type of team that I described could make a deep playoff run. Secondly, playing against the Seahawks in the playoffs would be Tony Romo’s worst nightmare after he famously botched a snap in Qwest Field to lose the Cowboys a playoff game. So that means as hard as it’s going to be, Seahawks fans should be rooting for Romo and the Cowboys this weekend. To make my final point, the Seahawks are peaking at the right time, and with the pieces they have, I wouldn’t be surprised to see them make a deep playoff run. I’m not predicting anything yet, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the ‘Hawks made it all the way to the Super Bowl.  

Thanks for reading and follow us on Twitter @seasportssoup! Like us on Facebook as well! Keep checking back for more updates.

Jackson


Friday, December 21, 2012

Mariners Land Morales in Exchange for Vargas

On Wednesday, the Mariners completed a trade that filled (to a certain extent) an area of need. The Mariners traded Jason Vargas to the Angels in exchange for Kendrys Morales, a 1B/DH type player. Despite the fact that Justin Smoak holds down first base currently for the Mariners and the fact that there is a log-jam at the designated hitter position, Jack Zduriencik made the trade nonetheless. However, even with a plethora of players at these positions, I think it was a great trade as the Mariners lost value in a position they have talent in and gained value in a position where they didn't have much value in. Here are some other reasons why I believe this trade was exceptional.

Jason Vargas looks to do the same thing in LA as he did in Seattle: eat up innings.
Otto Greule Jr/AP

First of all, lets start with the piece the Mariners lost in this trade. Jason Vargas has been a very good pitcher for the Mariners over the past couple of years and has eaten up a ton of innings. He is mainly a fly-ball pitcher and Safeco Field suited him very well. I think that the pitchers park down in Anaheim will do the exact same for Vargas and he will have some success with the Angels. However, I think the LA heat could be a factor and in the end it could lead to the demise of Jason Vargas next year. The Angels needed an inning eater and they got exactly what they wanted in Vargas. The Mariners, as everybody knows, have a surplus of pitching talent in the minor leagues so the idea of trading Vargas sounded much better because of this surplus. Vargas' contract this year calls for four million more dollars then Morales' does, another reason why I like this trade. It frees up even more money for the Mariners to spend on other player's contracts. Trading within the division is risky at times, but both general managers were fine with it as both players just have a year remaining on their respective contracts. Also, the Mariners don't really pose a threat to the Angels this year, making the trade even easier for Jerry DiPoto, the GM of the Angels. Now lets get to why this trade was attractive from the Mariner's point of view.

Kendrys Morales looks to provide the Mariners with something they haven't had a lot of lately, that thing they call offense.
Jayne Kamin-Oncea, USA TODAY Sports

Kendrys Morales is well known for his injury he sustained while celebrating after hitting a walk-off grand slam against the Mariners in 2010. Morales was headed for a big season in 2010 as he was projected to hit for over 110 RBI and 30 HR with an average close to .300. However, this injury (a broken his leg) suddenly ended his season. Morales missed all of the 2011 season, but was working hard in rehab. He came back last year in the 2012 season and had a .273 average while hitting for 22 HR and 73 RBI. Morales' best months in the season were in August and September so I'm sure Zduriencik was pleased to see this. With this move, the Mariners add a hitter that has huge potential and can fit in nicely right in the middle of the lineup. Morales said he feels 100% now and the best he has felt since his injury. However, with this acquisition, the Mariners now have a log-jam at the 1B and DH positions. With Justin Smoak, Jesus Montero/John Jaso, and Morales all in the mix for two positions, there will be some sorting out to do in spring training, but that's what spring training is for. Montero and Jaso will most likely switch off at catcher until Zunino gets called up to the big leagues while it is now clear that it is do or die time for Justin Smoak. Morales will put pressure on Smoak to perform and a little positional competition doesn't hurt anybody. Only the best will come out of this competition. It is still to be seen what the Mariners will do with Morales this season. They could try and sign him to an extension, trade him during the season, or could let him go as a free agent. It will largely have to do with the performance that Morales puts up this season. Scott Boras is his agent so it would be very hard to sign Morales to an extension during the season.

In the end, I think this trade was very good for both teams, but I think the Mariners will eventually get the better side of the deal. Morales has shown his skills before and has proven to be a solid hitter. The Mariners desperately need offense and Morales provides the team with some power hitting. Pitching is an area of strength so Vargas was relatively easily to let go of. This move does not by any means restrict the Mariners from making other moves for power bats. It actually makes the Mariners look more intriguing to free agent hitters as Morales adds some strength and protection to the lineup. Some areas of need that Jack Zduriencik still needs to fill are a power bat, a veteran pitcher, and possibly a lead-off hitter. Mihael Bourn looks intriguing for the Mariners and Joe Saunders could be a lefty answer to the need for a veteran pitcher. Nick Swisher is a very nice option for the Mariners who could fit in nicely with Morales in the lineup, but the Mariners haven't been rumored to be looking at him in-depth. Look for Zduriencik to make some more moves in the coming weeks, via either trade or free agency. No matter what, I think the Mariners will make the necessary moves in order to obtain a winning record in the upcoming season. Jack Zduriencik only wants the best for the Mariners organization and trust me, he can hear the fans crying for a competitive team. This drives him everyday to improve the Seattle Mariners.

Thanks for reading and follow us on Twitter @seasportssoup! Like us on Facebook as well! Keep checking back for more updates.

Marshall

Sunday, December 9, 2012

Seahawk's Playoff Picture 2.0

With a win by the Rams, the Seahawks (in dominating fashion), and the 49ers, the NFC West looks pretty much the same. The 49ers have a one and a-half game lead on the Seahawks and a three game lead on the Rams. However, the Bears lost today meaning that the Seahawks would be the fifth seed if the season ended today because of the head-to-head tiebreaker with the Bears. With only three games remaining in the regular season and two games back of the 49ers, it may seem that the Seahawks are out of the race for the division title, and should focus on the wild card, but that is not true at all. The 49ers have a very tough schedule over the next two games, taking on the Patriots in Foxborough and the Seahawks in Seattle, before finishing with the Cardinals at home. The Seahawks on the other hand, have a much easier schedule remaining, with the Bills in Toronto on the “road” next week, followed by the 49ers and Rams at home. It would not be surprising to see the Seahawks win all three of their remaining games, given that two of them are at home, as well as the fact that they are playing extremely well right now. This would put the Seahawks at 11-5. If the 49ers lose to the Patriots next week, and lose to the Seahawks the week after, they would be 10-5-1, which would mean the Seahawks would win the NFC West and most likely would clinch the number two seed in the playoffs.

It was evident that the Seahawks players had a good time in their win today.

If the Seahawks lose one of those last three games, and finish at 10-6, they would most likely not win the division, which would mean they would be fighting the Bears (8-5), Redskins (7-6), Cowboys (7-6), and Vikings (7-6) for the two wild card spots. For any of the three 7-6 teams to be able to challenge the Seahawks for the wild card spot, they would most likely have to win out. The Vikings still have the Texans and Packers left on their schedule, which basically means that they are effectively eliminated. The Cowboys have games against the Steelers, Saints, and Redskins remaining, which also basically means that they are effectively eliminated, as it would be very difficult to win all three of those games. The Redskins however have a fairly easy schedule remaining with the Browns, Eagles, and Cowboys left on their plate. Winning all three of those games would put them at 10-6, and in position to at least challenge for a playoff spot, whether it is for the wild card or their own division.

The Seahawks could soon be updating this sign at their headquarters in Renton...
seahawks.com

All of these scenarios show that the Seahawks are in a pretty good position to make the playoffs and still have a shot at the division title as well. In my last article about the playoff picture, I said the Seahawks season could come down to the week 16 game against the 49ers, and that is still the case. Assuming we beat the Bills next week and the Rams in week 17, a win against the 49ers would guarantee us a playoff spot. Plus, if the 49ers lose any of their other remaining games, winning in week 16 would give the Seahawks the division title. Just remember this. We wouldn’t be having any of this “will they make the playoffs or not” talk if the Seahawks would have taken care of business in the earlier parts of the season. With wins against teams like Arizona, St. Louis, Detroit and Miami, which all should have been wins, the Seahawks would be sitting pretty with a 12-1 record right now. Oh what could have been…
           
All of this being said it has been proven time and time again that anything can happen in the NFL. The Seahawks were shown just that in their loss two weeks ago against the woeful Dolphins. Any number of things could go wrong for the Seahawks, but if they play with the tenacity that they showed today against the Cardinals, they should be in good shape to make a solid run in the playoffs.

Thanks for reading and follow us on Twitter @seasportssoup! Like us on Facebook as well! Keep checking back for updates.

Jackson


Thursday, December 6, 2012

Russell Wilson's Big Strides Leading Seahawks to the Promise Land

Russell Wilson, the five-foot ten-inch rookie quarterback out of Wisconsin and a mere third round pick in last year’s draft, has progressed from a pre-season standout, into a rookie sensation. The former Badger signal-caller was the sixth quarterback taken in last year’s draft and after beating out ten million dollar free agent Matt Flynn for the starting job, has made big improvements every week. At the start of the season, Wilson leaned on the defense and running game to help lead the Seahawks to victories. But strong performances in recent games, capped off by two long touchdown drives late in the game against the Bears last week, make it clear that the tables have turned and it is now in fact Wilson leading the Seahawks to victories.

Hardly anybody has been able to catch Russell Wilson this season.

As of late, the defense has regressed somewhat and the running game has slowed down. Marshawn Lynch has had back to back games without 100 yard performances, and the defense seems to have lost a little bit of its edge and speed it had in the first few weeks of the season. That has left the slack to fall on Wilson, and he has responded greatly, throwing nine touchdowns and zero interceptions in his last four games. This combined with a 67% completion percentage over these four games has led to three Seahawk wins in those four weeks, with a disappointing loss against the lowly Dolphins. This resurgence in the Seahawks passing game has even put Wilson in the national spotlight, getting headlines on ESPN for the first time since the Hail Mary at the end of the Packers game. 

This hot streak by Wilson, and the national recognition that has followed, has led many people to finally realize how strong his stats are. Some even say he has entered the offensive rookie of the year conversation with Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III. There are two main stats to measure performance of a quarterback. Those two being passer rating and Total Quarterback Rating (QBR). Passer rating is simply a compilation of passing yards, touchdowns, and interceptions, while QBR takes difficulty of throws, situations, and other such factors into account. While passer rating is not a perfect indicator on performance, it is good to note that Wilson has moved into seventh in the league in passer rating, ahead of guys like Matt Ryan, Matt Schaub, Drew Brees, and Andrew Luck. Total QBR is not a perfect stat either, but Wilson ranks eleventh in that category, putting him ahead of Brees, Matthew Stafford, and Josh Freeman. All of these quarterbacks have more experience in the league than Wilson, which makes Wilson’s accomplishments even more impressive.

Russell Wilson has a higher passer rating and QBR than legendary QB Drew Brees.

The most important statistic of all however, is wins. Wilson has done a good job of helping the team to victory, leading us to a 7-5 record thus far in the season. Note that this is only one less win than Andrew Luck’s Colts, but one more win than RGIII’s Redskins. Clearly wins can be attributed to more than just quarterback play, but Wilson’s play has been a key component in the victories of the season so far. At this moment, the Seahawks would be in the playoffs as the six seed, which is due in large part to Wilson’s play and I believe if he continues to play at such a high level, then the Hawks could potentially make a run at the division title (a more in depth discussion on playoffs will come after this weekend’s games). However, the Hawks would probably need to win-out to do that. For now, Wilson and the team need to focus on improving every week, and I think that with continued development, Wilson can become a top-tier and elite quarterback in the very near future.

Thanks for reading and follow us on Twitter @seasportssoup! Like us on Facebook as well! Keep checking back for more updates.

Jackson