Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Takeaways: Seahawks End Regular Season on High Note

By Jackson Safon

The Seahawks beat the Rams 27-9 yesterday and in doing so, clinched the number one seed in the NFC and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. The offensive struggles continued early in the game but the ‘Hawks were saved by Malcolm Smith and the Seahawks defense as Smith intercepted Kellen Clemens and took it back for six on the Rams first possession of the game. The main storyline of this game however was the animosity between the two teams and how chippy the game was as a whole. This lead to an abundance of penalties including numerous personal fouls on both sides. Head referee Jeff Triplette had himself a field day, with 19 total penalties accepted and several more that were called, but offset throughout the game. The Seahawks were the only ones talking trash at the end however as they took control of the game and finished with a 13-3 record (which by the way is the record I predicted in my schedule analysis article).

1. Playoffs? Are you kidding me? Playoffs?
It is that time of year again folks, where you will be seeing the video clip of Jim Mora and his playoff rant over and over. The good news however is this season the Seahawks are poised to make a Super Bowl run as the road to New York in the NFC will go through Seattle this year. After the first round bye that the ‘Hawks have, there will be three potential opponents for them, the Packers, 49ers, or Saints. Because the NFL is not bracket style, the seeds are reorganized after every round, which means the Seahawks will play the worst seed remaining and the two-seed Panthers will play the best seed remaining. This means there is zero chance of the ‘Hawks playing the Eagles until the NFC Championship. In my opinion, the order of difficulty in terms of potential ‘Hawks opponents is 49ers, Packers, then Saints, but I will go into more detail on the playoff matchups next week.

Could the Packers pull of a stunner against the 49ers?
Bleacher Report

2. D-FENCE!
As I said last week, with the offense sputtering somewhat, it will be up to the defense to lead the Seahawks to victories. Not only did the defense almost outscore the Rams by themselves this week, they completely and utterly dominated a Rams offense that moved the ball with ease last time these two teams played. In the week eight matchup in St. Louis, the Rams ran for over 200 yards on the ground, but yesterday they only managed 13. In the whole game. The 13 rushing yards allowed by the Seahawks ties a franchise record and just goes to show how dominant this defense can be. At season’s end, the defense ended up first in points allowed, total yards, passing yards, and interceptions. The only other teams that can argue for the best defenses in the league are the 49ers and Panthers, who coincidentally (or maybe not) are the two toughest teams left in the NFC besides the ‘Hawks. In any case, I believe the Seahawks defense is the best in the NFL and will be almost impossible to score on in the playoffs at the Clink.

P.S. K.J. Wright could make it back for the first playoff game the Seahawks have to play. Get excited folks.

K.J. Wright's return to the Seahawks defense could be the difference between a Super Bowl and going home disappointed.
Seahawks.com

3. Three stars
I am going to do a hockey inspired three stars for the game against the Rams because there is just so much to write about with the season ending and the playoffs coming up but so little time. One star goes Malcolm Smith. Smith had an interception that he returned for a touchdown that was good for the first score of the game but more importantly, he has filled in brilliantly for the injured K.J. Wright. The second star goes to Marshawn Lynch who came just three yards short of snapping his streak of games without 100 yards on the ground. Lynch was doing the dirty work while the passing game was struggling early on and really went to town. He will continue to be the focal point of the offense as possessions become more important in the playoffs. Three stars go to Golden Tate who had a career high eight receptions and 129 yards. He also had a long touchdown reminiscent of the play against the Rams in week eight when he received a taunting penalty for waving. There was no need for him to wave this time as it was very clear that these teams have gone in two separate directions, with the ‘Hawks securing the number one seed and the Rams heading towards a top pick in the 2014 NFL draft. The 2013 regular season has come to a close, with the Seahawks having tied for the best record in the NFL, but this is not good enough as this season started and still remains Super Bowl or bust.

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

Wednesday, December 25, 2013

Wednesday Wanderings: Five Christmas Wishes of a Seattle Sports Fan

By Marshall Cherrington

Wednesday Wanderings is a weekly column written by Editor-in-Chief and creator of the Sports Soup Network, Marshall Cherrington. He brings you all of his weekly thoughts pertaining to Seattle sports, and anything else for that matter.

You already know it's that time of the year again. Christmas right? Uh, no. It's the time you've all been waiting for though. The time to unveil the five wishes a Seattle sports fan desires. I came up with this idea a little over a year ago today. I'd always dream about reading and article like this, but I never saw one out there. So I said to myself, "You know what Marshall, write one yourself. Stop whining because nobody else is going to do it for you." So begrudgingly, sort of, I sat down to do so.

Now I can talk sports all night and day, and trust me, I've done just that in the year 2013. I've compiled this list of five wishes that a Seattle sports fan would desire according to what I have heard. Be a critique while reading it though. I love the feedback. It's what makes me and us better. I didn't want to put "winning a championship" as every wish though. How boring is that to read? Every fan desires that. You can't call yourself a fan if you don't wish for your team to win the championship of its respective sport. I also tried to make these wishes realistic. Realistic as possible at least. I may have gotten carried away on a few, but hey, what's the fun if you don't. Without further ado, here are the five wishes of a Seattle sports fan (in no particular order).

1. Russell Wilson is named Super Bowl MVP
Every fan wants to see this happen. Not only would this mean that the Seahawks made it all the way to the Super Bowl, but it would also mean they most likely won it, as the MVP award usually goes to a player on the winning team. This would change the course of Seattle sports forever. It would be a historic and monumental event. There's no other way to put it. The beloved team of Seattle would have finally won a championship. And Russell Wilson could become even more famous than he already is, though that's unlikely. I wanted an XBOX One from him for Christmas... Seattle sports have already started the trend upward and this would just solidify the job the general managers of Seattle area sports teams are doing. Seahawks fans will finally be able to forgive Bill Levy and the officiating crew that they thought stole the Super Bowl XL trophy right out their teams hands. Listen to Mike Holmgren on KJR and it's clear he still hasn't forgiven those referees. But all will be forgiven and forgotten if Russell Wilson and his crew can bring the most coveted trophy in sports home to Seattle. I'm not sure the city of Seattle would be safe to walk around on that Super Bowl Sunday if the 'Hawks can pull it off. Seattle fans are deprived, and when they get what they want, they go nuts.

Russell Wilson may have to scramble for his life to win the Super Bowl.
iSportsWeb

2. Mariners sign Masahiro Tanaka
Many fans might not know who this incredible baseball player is, but he could be the key to getting the Mariners back to the playoffs. If signed, which will take over $100 million to do, he would give the Mariners the best starting rotation in Major League Baseball. The rotation would be Felix, Tanaka, Iwakuma, Walker and Paxton. Not one hitter who plays the game of baseball would say that they aren't scared to face that rotation. What a diverse rotation that would be too. A Hispanic, two Japanese pitchers, an African-American and a Caucasian. That would be awesome to see and would show how much the game of baseball has evolved. If the Mariners were to sign Tanaka, they would be completely done with big free agent signings for this offseason. Tanaka is only 25 and was undefeated in every start last year in Japan. You could say he demands a steep price and won't be missing any meals for the rest of his life.

3. Mariners trade for Giancarlo Stanton
This would put the Mariners over the hump. With Tanaka or not, Stanton would make the Mariners instant postseason contenders. No doubt about it. He's an above average outfielder when healthy and has a very strong arm. That's not even the best part of his game either. Some consider Stanton to be a top five hitter in the National League, maybe even in all of baseball. All credit to Jackson for this idea, however, I don't agree that Kyle Seager and Taijuan Walker get the deal done, which Jackson is suggesting. I think that the Mariners would need to include a few more prospects in the deal and possibly even Nick Franklin. The Marlins are cheap, but not cheap enough to accept a package from the Mariners that only includes two players. Check out our podcast for more talk on this subject.

4. Chris Petersen leads the Huskies to a ten win season
To the joy of many Husky fans around the nation, Sark is finally gone. Personally, I think Sark was a good coach and great recruiter, but it always seemed like there was something more to him. Almost like he was hiding something, but he wasn't at the same time. It was a weird concept, and I might just be being weird myself for thinking this. Anyways, that's in the past. As I have alluded to before, I think Petersen was a great hire and I think he'll do great things at Washington. However, some people have their doubts. Previous Boise State head coaches haven't fared so well when they've moved on, but none of them had two coach of the year awards under their belt, nor as many wins as Petersen recorded. With all of these doubts, I think it'll be very important for Petersen to get out to a hot start. Not only will it help with the fans, but it will also help immensely with recruiting. Petersen has gone after the lower rated guys so far, but these players are the "OKG's" for Petersen (our kinda guys). If Petersen desires to go after the higher rated guys, as I'm sure he will, he'll be able to that at Washington now. He couldn't do that at Boise State. There wasn't as much appeal. Petersen and staff won't have the highest ranked recruiting class this year, but once you give the man some time to form relationships with players and their families, the rest of the Pac-12 better watch out. Ten wins in his inaugural season won't hurt one bit.

5. Ground is broken on the new Seattle Arena
This idea has probably moved to the back of people's minds with all of the recent Seattle sports success, especially coming from the Seahawks, but the dream is still there for many fans. They want their Sonics back. They want an NHL team. And they want a beautiful brand new arena. There's no reason to not break ground to build a beautiful new arena. Chris Hansen has said that all obstacles have pretty much been cleared and that they are really all set to go, barring a few more bills that have to get passed. A new arena would definitely attract an NHL expansion team, would obviously attract an NBA team, and would give the city of Seattle yet another iconic building to brag about. Build it, and they will come.

Merry Christmas to you all and thank you so much for reading our blog over the past year. It means a lot to Jackson and I. We find motivation in all of your guys' support and love. It's what makes our writing better. So this Christmas, just mention the blog to a couple of your friends and maybe, just maybe when I'm writing the third edition of this piece in a year, we'll have more readers than we could have ever wished for.

Happy Holidays, and again, thanks for reading.

--

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Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Takeaways: Horrific Seahawks Loss against the Cardinals

By Jackson Safon

Mortality (n.) – The state or condition of being subject to death. While the Seahawks are not vulnerable to a literal death, the loss they took yesterday to the Cardinals proved that they are not invincible. This was Russell Wilson’s first home loss as a professional quarterback, so naturally the thought to this point was that the ‘Hawks simply couldn’t be beat in the Clink. The Cardinals proved that a strong defense and an offense that controls the ball absolutely can beat the Seahawks, even in Seattle. In today’s NFL, there are few teams that fit this mold, but two of them are potential opponents for the ‘Hawks in the NFC in the Panthers and 49ers. The Cardinals just beat the ‘Hawks with Carson Palmer throwing four interceptions. Imagine how badly they would’ve beat us if Colin Kaepernick or Cam Newton was their quarterback. Yikes.

1. Next week is a must-win
Just a few weeks ago, Seahawks fans were saying that the ‘Hawks might be able to rest their starters in a week 17 games against the Rams. The number one seed was thought to be all but sewn up. Yet all of a sudden the game has become one of the biggest of the season. Assuming the 49ers beat the Falcons, the ‘Hawks will have to win on Sunday to secure the number one seed in the NFC. If they don’t do so, the Seahawks will all of a sudden drop to the wild card round of the playoffs and have to go on the road in the first week. Furthermore, the game against the Rams will be no cakewalk. Anything but. Let’s not forget that the Rams were one play away from beating the Seahawks earlier this season. Plus, Jeff Fischer is one of the best coaches in the NFL and can outfox you on any given day. The implications of the week 17 game against the Rams are vast and I cannot wait until Sunday.

2. Defense will lead the team to victories from now on
Early in the season, the Seahawks offense was scoring at a pace good enough for second in the NFL, only behind the historic Denver Broncos. Now it seems the paradigm has shifted and it will be the defense leading the Seahawks to wins. In their past two games the Seahawks have intercepted opponents a whopping nine times. Additionally, in their past 10 quarters the ‘Hawks defense has only allowed two touchdowns. Now the defense hasn’t been perfect, as twice over the past three weeks they have allowed game winning touchdown drives. That being said, the pass defense is right where it needs to be, the run defense seems to be improving, and the pass-rush can be lethal on any given day.

The Seahawks defense will lead the team to victories from now on, no matter what.
Seahawks.com

3. Special teams not so special
What in the world happened with the special teams yesterday? The Seahawks have had the best special teams unit in the NFL and it hasn’t been close. Yet yesterday the special teams was arguably the worst part of the game for the ‘Hawks that included Russell Wilson completing less than 41% of his passes. Steven Hauschka missed a chip-shot field goal, Jon Ryan had his worst punting day of the year by far, and Robert Turbin fumbled a kickoff return. The group as a whole was an absolute disaster. I try not to overreact too much to one week, but something has to be done, the playoffs are upon us.

4. PENALTIES ARE GOING TO LOSE US GAMES
The Seahawks had nine penalties against them for 102 yards. It is not just the sheer number however, it is the situations in which these penalties were committed. Too often did the Seahawks defense commit dumb penalties that kept Cardinal drives alive. Discipline is one of the most underrated attributes that championship teams possess and right now the Seahawks do not have it.

We've seen this look all too many times.
The Seattle Times

5. Offense, Baldwin, missed opportunities
There is far too much to write about in this game but I sure as heck am going to try. The offense was horrible. The offensive line was bad, the running game was bad, and the passing game was atrocious. In my opinion this is the worst game Russell Wilson has ever played in a Seahawks uniform. Not much more needs to be said on that matter. On the Doug Baldwin play at the end of the game I believe the correct ruling was made. Not the correct call, but the correct ruling. The pass was incomplete, but because it was ruled an interception on the field it could not be overturned. I completely agree with the decision made by the referees to not overturn the call because I do not think there was enough video evidence to overturn the call. That single play however should not be called upon by fans as the reason the Seahawks lost that game. They played terrible on offense, missed innumerable opportunities, and finished 2 of 13 on third down. That is absurdly bad. So much to work out in this week of practice and we will see how the team responds on Sunday against the Rams.

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

Monday, December 16, 2013

Takeaways: Seahawks Dominate the Giants

By Jackson Safon

Yesterday the Seahawks went on the road to play a team that has nothing to lose at a 10:00 AM start time. Generally that is a recipe for disaster, but the Giants simply aren’t that good and the ‘Hawks were too much for them. The Seahawks won 23-0 and it should’ve been a lot closer to 40-0, but a win is a win and a shutout is nothing to cry about. This win moves the Seahawks to 12-2, which includes 6-2 on the road and a fantastic 4-1 in 10:00 AM starts. Those are two categories that many ‘Hawks fans were worried about going into this season but Russell Wilson and the Seahawks have silenced all of the doubters.

1. Defense was dominant
There will be people out there who say the Seahawks defense was only dominant because the Giants offense is terrible. Part of that is true, but it is very difficult to shut out an NFL football team for a number of reasons. The Seahawks went into New York and held the Giants offense to 25 yards rushing and only 156 yards passing. Not to mention the five interceptions, yes five, and the four sacks. The Giants only had 12 first downs in this game and a few of them came when the game was already in hand. Absolute domination by the defense as a whole, but a special shout out to Byron Maxwell who has played lights out since taking over for the injured Brandon Browner.

2. Offense was…good enough
The Seahawks put up 23 points and scored on five different drives, but this was not nearly the offense we as fans are accustomed to seeing. Russell Wilson only averaged 7.6 yards per attempt and Marshawn Lynch averaged under three yards per carry. The Giants defense is no joke but the offensive performance was still not where it has to be going forward.  Doug Baldwin and Marshawn Lynch had good receiving days, but Golden Tate uncharacteristically missed on three potential deep balls. Obviously the offense played good enough to win this game but the unit needs to perform better as a whole going forward.

3. Special Teams is consistently the best
Reuben Randle had the first punt return against the Seahawks in months, and his return of four yards bumped the total allowed by the ‘Hawks to 19. In other words, the Seahawks punt unit is having one of the best seasons in the history of the NFL. Furthermore, Steven Hauschka continues his fantastic season, knocking in all three of his field goals. Hauschka has been so good that the only field goal he has missed was the one the ‘Hawks had blocked in the Colts game. Just an unbelievable year.

Steven Hauschka is a Pro-Bowl caliber kicker.
Seahawks.com

4. Penalties
The Seahawks had 8 penalties for 50 yards. The yardage total isn’t terrible, but the penalties show a lack of discipline that is almost never present in Super Bowl champions. I have no doubt the Seahawks have the potential to make it to the Super Bowl, but lack of discipline is one of the things that could possibly derail them.

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

Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Wednesday Wanderings: The Dawn of a New Era in Seattle Sports

By Marshall Cherrington

Wednesday Wanderings is a weekly column written by Editor-in-Chief and creator of the Sports Soup Network, Marshall Cherrington. He brings you all of his weekly thoughts pertaining to Seattle sports, and anything else for that matter.

There is no way to start this edition of Wednesday Wanderings in a clever way. There are too many options for me to choose from. Don’t you Cano what I mean? What a couple of weeks it’s been in Seattle sports and I’m sure my phone is not the only one that has run out of power before 1:00 p.m. in the afternoon because I couldn’t stay off Twitter. I love rumor season and it’s definitely that time of the year again. Who needs the Holidays when you have rumors? From coaching changes to a superstar signing with the Mariners for the first time in a billion years, the battery of my phone has hated Seattle sports for the past two weeks. Oh and rumor season isn’t even close to ending. There are still Choo many free agents left on the open market in baseball and recruiting mayhem is just around the corner, if it hasn’t started already. By the time this article is published, approximately 10 rumors have probably already come out, making me look like the least modernized guy on earth. I feel for the Seattle times. This past Friday, the day that will live down in history in Seattle sports, the front page of the Seattle Times sports section consisted of articles stating that the Mariners were meeting with Robinson Cano and that the Huskies were meeting with Chris Petersen. By the time most people read those articles that morning, Petersen and Cano had both agreed to contracts with their respective teams. Oh the dying newspaper industry… Very sad in all honesty.

There is too much information to talk about for just one Wednesday Wanderings column so my thoughts will probably continue to pour out about this past week’s events into next week’s edition of Wednesday Wanderings. Or they’ll just all pour out in this edition and you’ll have to sit through reading thousands of words on the computer. We’ll see how my brain feels. Clearly, I’ll be discussing the Mariners’ big moves, the Seahawks’ demoralizing loss, and a little bit about the new man in charge of the Huskies. Let’s dive in to the week that was in Seattle sports.

Every Mariners blog and website always publishes an article on moves the team should make in the offseason. Usually these articles are very well thought out and some writers put in lots of hard work on these pieces. I always enjoy reading these because it makes me dream big. Jason Churchill’s version of this piece always excites me and I think he is the man to talk to when it comes to Seattle Mariners baseball. The dude just gets it. But one prediction I didn’t see in anyone’s pre-offseason article was that the Mariners were going to sign Robinson Cano, the best second baseman in the game of baseball. Now, I don’t blame any of these writers because I probably wouldn’t have predicted this happening either. I just assumed that he and Jay-Z would sign back in New York. Well looks like I was completely wrong, once again. I can’t seem to predict anything right these days. But for once, I’m very happy I was wrong. Even though the Mariners overpaid for Cano, it was desperately needed. Cano brings a culture change to the Mariners’ team. It lets the rest of Major League Baseball know that the Mariners mean business for the first time in a long time. Jackson, a staff writer here, tried to argue that Dustin Pedroia is clearly the best second baseman in the Major Leagues. Well I have news for you buddy: he’s not. Cano’s WAR (wins above replacement) the past two years (2012 and 2013): 8.5 and 7.6. Pedroia’s? 4.9 and 6.5. We all know that WAR does not mean everything and that it’s getting to be a stat that is a bit overhyped, but this clearly shows something. Cano has been invaluable to the Yankees and has been the best on the team for the better part of the last five years or so. He doesn’t have as much support around him as Pedroia has had. Cano’s mainstay in the lineup has been hitting second, but he has also occasionally hit third. Pedroia’s mainstay in the lineup has been hitting third, while occasionally batting second. It is harder to put up stats and produce in the second position in the lineup than the third, and despite this, Cano still has the better WAR rating. Pedroia is a better fielder than Cano, but look who still has the better WAR rating: Robinson Cano. Both players are within a year of each other in age so that really isn’t an argument in this situation. While judging whether this Cano deal was good or not for the Mariners in the future, clearly it won’t be decided on how Cano performed versus how Pedroia performed. But a point needed to be made. The Mariners signed the best second baseman in the league and I don’t even think there is really an argument for Pedroia. And for all you haters out there who disapprove of this deal, talk to me when Cano is mashing pitching and bringing some much needed fame to the most dismal team in Seattle. He’s already brought enough fame for free agents to give Seattle a longer and harder look when deciding which team to sign with. Just ask Corey Hart.

Robinson Cano brings hope to a hopeless franchise.

Not surprisingly, the Mariners followed up the Cano signing by making two more moves this afternoon. They agreed to terms with ex-Brewers outfielder Corey Hart on a one year contract and then traded for Marlins first baseman Logan Morrison. At first glance, it might seem like the former might be a better move than the latter. And trust me, your first glance holds true. Hart is a proven outfielder, and even though he didn’t play last year because of knee issues, he’s put up All-Star like numbers in the past. What if Hart decided to turn back the clock on us this year? Say to 2010 or so, a year he hit .283 with 31 home runs and 102 RBI. We all know that this kind of production won’t occur this year, but say the Mariners get at least 3/4ths of that production. And what if Logan Morrison decided to turn back the clock as well? Say to the year 2011, a year he hit .247 with 23 home runs and 72 RBI. Morrison is much younger than Hart so it might be realistic to say that he could produce more this year than he did in 2011. Even if he gave 3/4ths of his 2011 production this upcoming year, like Hart might, both players would combine to hit around .265 for 42 home runs and 129 RBI. At the end of the season, Jack Zduriencik would probably look back and think to himself, “Wow, I made some good moves on that Wednesday afternoon in December.” All in all, I think the Mariners got better as a team this afternoon and that’s saying a lot considering they made moves for two guys with knees that probably look like strings by now. And the Mariners aren’t done just yet. They are rumored to be in on Nelson Cruz still and even though most people absolutely hate this guy for the Mariners, I think he would be a solid pick-up. Under one condition: the price has to be right. He’s been a Mariners killer in the past so as the saying goes (with a little adjustment to it), if you can’t beat them, buy them. If the Mariners signed Cruz and then added a number three starter to their rotation via free agency (Ubaldo Jimenez maybe?), I think they would be considered contenders this upcoming year. It’ll all workout in the end, as long as former Mariners employees don’t bash the team publicly anymore (shout out to Geoff Baker though for an amazing article).

Can Corey Hart return to his 2010 ways with the Mariners? The city of Seattle, along with the woman on his right arm, hope so.
Pro Sports Extra

Now moving on to the most beloved team in Seattle, the Seahawks. Actually, to illustrate how big the Cano signing was, I think the Mariners might have been the most beloved team in Seattle last Friday. Actually, on second thought, the Mariners probably still sucked in fans’ eyes. Fans will find ways to bash the Mariners at any point in time, even if they were to win consecutive World Series. It’s just how the pessimistic city of Seattle works. But moving on. I think the Seahawks lost a tough one at the hands of the 49ers this past Sunday. For the first time this whole season, it felt like the team really needed Percy Harvin. He would have helped the team to victory in my opinion, but of course, he was inactive, like he probably will be for the remaining three games of the season. Hey, at least the team will have him for the playoffs, that is if he doesn’t trip over a blade of grass again and hurt that glass hip of his. As we all know, Percy adds another dynamic to this team that just wasn’t there on Sunday afternoon: speed. Russell Wilson has speed, but he didn’t show it Sunday. It seemed like Russell was holding himself back for something. Maybe to save his body for the playoffs? Well he still got hammered early and often as Navarro Bowman absolutely destroyed him on the opening drive of the game. Wilson was pretty efficient through the air, but for the first time this season, I was worried that the opposing team’s defense was talented enough to stop the Seahawks offense. I guess you could call it a game of firsts for me because it was also the first time this season where I didn’t have overwhelming confidence in the defense. They looked slow out there and it didn’t help that the San Francisco 49ers completely took Earl Thomas out of the game by sending wide receivers downfield to block him on nearly every rushing play. That’s just good coaching. To stay on this subject, and to stay on the theme of firsts, it was also the first time on Sunday that I felt like the Seahawks truly got out coached. Darrell Bevell has had some questionable play calling in the past and you could count this as bad coaching, but the overall coaching of the entire staff did not impress me Sunday, Pete Carroll included. Richard Sherman called the game an “overhyped practice” during pre-game festivities. The coaches can’t let that mentality creep into the minds of these players. You get to play once every seven days of the week and it’s called “gameday” for a reason. It’s not a practice of any sort, overhyped or not. Sherman did not impress me on Sunday and hasn’t been very impressive the past couple of weeks. But maybe that’s just because I’ve come to expect so much from him. Opposing teams have to complete a pass on him sooner or later. It’s just bound to happen. I also really hope he does not read this. He could embarrass me in a heartbeat on my beloved twitter. Anyways, that being said, I think Sherman will be able to rebound this week as he faces an uninspired Giants squad, though they have nothing to lose. Victor Cruz and Hakeem Nicks should provide some challenges for the Seahawks secondary, but not challenges that the Legion hasn’t seen in the past. I think the Seahawks win easy, despite the early start time. And I don’t think it’ll stop there. In fact, the Seahawks won’t lose a game for the rest of the season. Yep, that’s right, I’m predicting the Seahawks will win the Super Bowl. I know that’s a very bold prediction. Had to go out on a limb for that one! Let’s move on to the other football team in town.

I think the Huskies finally found the right guy to lead their program to the next level. Chris Petersen just isn’t like other coaches. 92-12? Unheard of. Turning a mid-level program into a consistent winner at Boise State? One of the hardest things to do. Coaching on a blue field without throwing up? Probably the biggest and best thing he has accomplished thus far in his coaching career. I see Chris Petersen retiring as a Husky with at least one National Championship ring on his hand. At least a Rose Bowl ring. I’m bummed I have to move away for college because I really want to see Petersen’s first year on the field in person. But hey, maybe it’s just a sign I need to attend the UW. It’ll be an exciting year, way more exciting for Husky fans than Steve Sarkisian’s first year as the head coach of the Huskies. I think Sark did great things at UW, but he always seemed like he had two sides to him. At times, he seemed like the nicest, most pleasant guy on the planet, but I could always tell that there was another part to him. Something shady. Shady may not be the right word, but sneaky to an extent. I’m not trying to insult Sark’s character in any way, but I’m just pointing out what I saw when the media interviewed him after multiple practice’s. But he’s not the coach anymore. Chris Petersen is. Petersen developed two and three star recruits so well at Boise State. Now just imagine what he will do at Washington with four and five star recruits. We’re talking about a lot of NFL talent coming out of Washington over the next decade or longer. Sarkisian was like the charger that revives your phone from a dead battery and I think Petersen is a special phone case that keeps the phone with power and battery life at all times. The Huskies have finally graduated from mediocre coaches in the past decade and have already stepped up a level under the control of Petersen without even playing a game yet. Can they take those next steps on the way to becoming elite? As usual, only time will tell. But the Petersen era has arrived. And it’s here for the long haul.

Husky fans hope Petersen's coaching is as perfect as his teeth are.
The Tacoma News Tribune

Well there you have it. Now you know what happens when my thoughts on Seattle sports are pent up for multiple weeks in a row. It’s like a dam coming down, my thoughts being the water that soaks up the dry riverbeds (also known as your minds). I know you’ve all loved my analogies today especially that last one right there. I’ll try to throw a few more of those in over the course of the coming weeks. It’s probably what will keep you up at night, thinking about my stellar analogies. On a serious note, I think the current state of Seattle sports is the best it has been in the past decade. The Mariners are on the rise, the Seahawks are at the pinnacle of the NFL and the Huskies are close to returning to national prominence once again. Throw in the Sounders and you have a city that’s been deprived of success in sports, now drowning in the championship possibilities of each of their beloved teams. Promising times are ahead and even though a few of these new eras (Mariners and Huskies) may get off to rough starts, the Seattle sports gods will straighten them out in no time.

It’s a hard transition to go from talking about the potential of a city’s sports teams to talking about Madden, but I’m about to do just that. It’s just how my mind works. Jumping from one train of thought to another in no time. Anyways, I’m destroying Jackson in the Madden series now. I don’t even know what the record of the series is, but I’m up on him by at least two games. I put up 67 on the scoreboard today with the Eagles. I was bowing down to Chip Kelley for once. You can all be sure that will never happen again.

Thank you for taking the time out of your day to read/suffer through this. It means a lot to me. Please comment below with any thoughts that are currently sticking out in your mind after reading this column. I will be sure to get back to you within 12 hours. I promise you. If I don’t, contact me and I’ll give you a pack of Skittles signed by Marshawn Lynch. Seriously. He signed a pack of Skittles for me. Probably the best day of my life. Have a good week Seattle sports nation!

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Monday, December 9, 2013

Mariners' Next Steps after Signing Cano

By Kevin Calderhead

Jack Z is going all out this offseason. ROBINSON CANO. Wow.

The Mariners are tired of losing and if they don’t make the playoffs this year, Zduriencik may lose his job. Signing the best second baseman in the American League is a great step forward, but one player isn’t going to turn everything around. There are several more pieces Jack Z needs to add to make Seattle a successful team in 2014.

On a related note, a lot of you are probably asking “Where did we get all this money from?” Well the Mariners have finally paid off players we had released or traded, like Ichiro and Chone Figgins who were being paid a combined $27 million a year. There are now only two players on the roster with large payrolls: Felix at $22.5 million and Iwakuma at $6.5 million. That leaves a load of money for Jack Z to spend.

By himself, Cano can’t fix the Mariners less than average offense. We need at least one more big bat, preferably an outfielder, and Nelson Cruz and ex-Mariner Shin-Soo Choo could be potential acquisitions. In fact, as I write this article, there’s been a report that Nelson Cruz has turned down 5 years $75 million from the M’s. Nothing has been confirmed yet though. Matt Kemp could also come our way, but rumors are swirling that a trade between the Dodgers and the Red Sox for Kemp is brewing. Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reports that another Dodgers’ outfielder, Andre Ethier, is also on their radar, as well as Corey Hart.

Could Nelson Cruz be the next big signing for Jack Zduriencik and the Mariners?
Black Sports Online

By signing Cano, the Mariners’ other second basemen, Dustin Ackley and Nick Franklin, could be used as trade bait. Ackley especially is drawing interest from teams across the league. Outfielder Michael Saunders and pitcher James Paxton have been also been mentioned as trading pieces.

If Kendrys Morales doesn’t re-sign, which he most likely will not, as he turned down our $14.1 million offer, another DH will need to be traded for or signed. Billy Butler, the designated hitter of the Kansas City Royals, could assume this role. Butler batted .289 and hit 15 bombs with 82 RBI’s. His highest home run total in his career is 29, the same year he knocked in 107 runs. But acquiring Cano may entice Morales to sign back with the Mariners. Morales led the Mariners in batting last season.

The Mariners also need another consistent starting pitcher to go along with Felix Hernandez and Hisashi Iwakuma. Sources have reported that Tampa Bay Rays’ ace David Price is their top priority. Price won only 10 games last year, but in 2012 he won the Cy Young with a 20-5 record, a 2.56 ERA and 205 punch-outs. I like the idea of a trade, but Tampa Bay wants Taijuan Walker in exchange. Walker is the Mariners’ best pitching prospect, and had a bit of success at the end of last year. Jack Z says, however, that he has no intentions of trading Walker. MLB Network’s analyst Richard Justice has said that any trade for Price would almost certainly include first baseman Justin Smoak.

A Mariners rotation with David Price included within it would be second to none in Major League Baseball.
Mike Carlson/AP

Price isn’t the only starting pitcher Jack Z has shown interest in. Matt Garza, Ubaldo Jimenez and Bartolo Colon are all possibilities. But I would sure like to get Price, without losing Walker. I’m sitting here imagining a starting rotation with Felix, Kuma, Price, Walker and Paxton and it makes me the most excited for Mariners baseball than I have been in a while.

The last time I was this happy about baseball in Seattle was when we signed Chone Figgins. I don’t even want to think about how that turned out.


But if Jack Z can manage to sign a power hitting outfielder and ace David Price, the Mariners could be good. Like playoff good. When was the last time we said that? We wouldn’t have to worry about whether a field of inexperienced prospects could turn into wins. The fate of the 2014 Seattle Mariners is in Zduriencik’s hands, and it looks like he means business.

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Takeaways: Seahawks Suffer Tough Loss at the Hands of the 49ers

By Jackson Safon

The Seahawks received their second loss of the season yesterday and this time it was at the hands of their division rival the San Francisco 49ers. In a low-scoring game the Seahawks beat themselves with ugly play in the first quarter and with penalties throughout the game. The 49ers played a strong game on all accounts and deserved to win that game. Although a loss is never what you want, this one could be just what the ‘Hawks need to spark them to a strong finish to the season.

1. Can’t beat yourself
The Seahawks had nine penalties for 85 yards and had a punt blocked in the first quarter that led to a 49ers field goal. It is tough to expect a win with close to 100 penalty yards and a mistake as drastic as a blocked punt from the ‘Hawks own 17 yard line. Although the defense was stout for most of the game, the ‘Hawks could not overcome the abundance of penalties they received. The lack of discipline the Seahawks showed yesterday is one of the few things that can hold this team from a berth in the Super Bowl so it needs to be fixed and it needs to be fixed quickly.

2. Can we have Percy back?
Coming into yesterday’s game, the Seahawks offense had scored the second most points in the NFL and had done so relatively easily. This game however was a completely different story as they only totaled 13 first downs and 264 yards. The 49ers have one of the better defenses in the NFL but that does not mean the ‘Hawks should look as inept on offense as they did. Although Seattle has had a high scoring offense throughout the season, I thought yesterday they missed the presence of an electric player like Percy Harvin. Yes, Marshawn Lynch and Golden Tate are both dynamic players, but Harvin is a hybrid of both of those players, which the elusiveness of Tate and the strength of Lynch. Having him as part of the offense yesterday would have made it a completely different game.

Gangster Harvin needs to make a return to the playing field this season.
Concord Monitor

3. No need to panic
This loss means that the Seahawks are now only one game ahead of New Orleans for first place in the NFC, but there is still no reason to panic. First of all, the ‘Hawks hold the head-to-head tiebreaker which essentially means they are up two games, and second of all the Saints still have to play the Panthers in Carolina and the ‘Hawks have two of their remaining three games at home. This was the first time this season where the opposing team actually played well enough to beat the ‘Hawks so I do not think there is any reason to be concerned about getting the top seed in the NFC.

4. Injuries…time to panic?
Of course not. Max Unger left the game with a “chest injury” that seems to be a left pectoral injury and K.J. Wright left the game with what ended up being a broken foot which could sideline him for up to six weeks. Unger remains week-to-week at this point, but with only three more weeks remaining in the regular season, losing Wright to a six week injury could be detrimental. Malcolm Smith will take Wright’s place in the starting lineup and he is more than capable, but he is not K.J. Wright, who has been playing magnificently as of late. Wright tweeted out that he expects to be ready for the playoffs, but that seems like a bit of a stretch to me. That being said, because the ‘Hawks will almost assuredly have a first round bye, it is possible that Wright makes it back for their first playoff game and if not, he should be back in time for the NFC Championship, if the Seahawks were to make it that far. Because the ‘Hawks shouldn’t have a big problem keeping the number one seed in the NFC, there is no need to panic about these injuries.

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Friday, December 6, 2013

Mariners Sign All-Star Infielder Robinson Cano

By Jackson Safon

By now you have already heard the news of the 10 year, $240 million contract the Mariners signed Robinson Cano for and you have probably already heard several takes on it. Here was my take on it when I rolled out of bed and heard the news: HOLY CRAP THE MARINERS SIGNED ROBINSON CANO WHAT IN THE WORLD IS HAPPENING. Now I am going to attempt to slow down the excitement a bit to try and look at this signing logically.

Logically, it is an interesting signing because the contract itself is pretty bad, but everything that comes with it could make it worth it. Cano is 31 years old, so a 10-year contract is far too long. There’s a pretty good chance he will be a shell of himself by the time the last few years of this contract roll around. Yet this signing is about so much more than just adding Robinson Cano to the roster. It is the first step to making the Mariners relevant again. Signing Cano does so much more than just bring 25+ homers and 95+ RBI (holy smokes those are some nice stats), it allows the Mariners to realistically go after other free agents. Now instead of pitching Willie Bloomquist as their latest free agent signing they can pitch arguably the best second baseman in the American League. That is an unbelievable tool that cannot be undervalued when analyzing this signing.

Cano's swing is considered to be the best in baseball. Absolutely beautiful.
The Source

Now it is time to look towards the future. Except the future is now. Cano is the first step, but now the Mariners have to go add another hitter, whether it be in free agency (Shin-Soo Choo, Mike Napoli or Nelson Cruz?) or via trade (Brad Miller and James Paxton for Matt Kemp?). Whatever they do next, and they will do something next, it will be made possible in large part because of Robinson Cano. The city of Seattle thanks you Robinson.

The next question is what should be the Mariners next move. Should it be to sign a Shin-Soo Choo or Nelson Cruz in free agency, should it be to trade for a guy like Matt Kemp, or should it be to do something similar but instead for a starting pitcher? Matt Garza is a name I floated out a few weeks ago that the Mariners could potentially sign, and reports coming in yesterday were that the Mariners are interested in potentially acquiring David Price from the Rays. At this point it is very difficult to predict what Jack Zduriencik will do next because this is uncharted waters for us as Mariners fans. This has never happened before, at least not on this scale. But if the Mariners add another hitter or two and potentially a starting pitcher as well there is no reason to think this team won’t be able to win now.

Could the Mariners bring in Mike Napoli as well? Only time will tell.
USA Today Sports

The signing of Robinson Cano does so much for the Mariners it’s hard to even fathom. It changes the culture of the entire organization. Not only will we see Robinson Cano on the field but we will see Jay-Z and BeyoncĂ© at the games. The Mariners have a chance to really make a play for the AL West if they can sign a couple more key guys.


Jack Zduriencik has made the splash he needed to, but now let’s see if he can swim and continue to make the Mariners better.

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Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Takeaways: Seahawks Dominate Saints on Monday Night Football

By Jackson Safon

Your Seattle Seahawks just dismantled the number two team in the NFC. Absolutely dismantled them. The ‘Hawks were dominant in every phase of the game and the score reflected that, with Seattle winning 34-7. The Seahawks now jump even farther ahead in the race for the number one seed in the NFC and can clinch the NFC West with a win over the 49ers next week. Furthermore, the Seahawks are now the first team to clinch a playoff spot. I expected the ‘Hawks to win this game, but I never would have guessed it would've been in beat-down fashion like this one was.

1. Russell Wilson is perfect (or as close to it as an athlete can come)
The magician can do no wrong. Wilson closed this game with 47 rushing yards to go along with 22/30 for 310 yards and three touchdowns. He was flawless. Delivering every pass where it had to be from the dime down the left sideline to Baldwin to the laser, back shoulder throw to Kearse. Russell Wilson can do no wrong and it is all coming together at the right time. He finished with his second highest passing yardage total of the season, but it wasn’t just the total he amassed, but the way he did it. Wilson played with poise, tenacity, and the occasional flair as he added to his total of “Houdini’s” tonight. I’m not even sure if the city of Seattle deserves Russell Wilson, but we sure are glad to have him.

2. Best defensive effort of the season
The Seahawks held the third highest scoring offense in the NFL to seven points. Seven. And they held one of the top four quarterbacks in the NFL and the holder of the NFL record for most passing yards in a season to 147 yards. They also had constant pressure on Drew Brees and one of such occasions led to a sack-fumble that was returned for a touchdown. The two newbie’s combined on the play as Cliff Avril had the sack and Michael Bennett returned the fumble back for the touchdown. The defense held a team that averaged 415 yards a game to a mere 188. Byron Maxwell played outstanding. He has been a difference maker since taking over the number two cornerback role from Brandon Browner. He put in a great performance but he was not the only one. Earl Thomas played well, K.J. Wright played well, Clinton McDonald played well. Everyone played well. This was the best work the defense has done so far this season and I only expect it to improve.

Cliff Avril is one of the best defensive lineman in the league at strip sacks.
AP Photo/Elaine Thompson

3. Where was the run blocking
With the offensive line fully healthy for the second week in a row, the pass blocking was fantastic, but the run blocking was quite the opposite. The Saints defense is right in the middle of the pack in terms of run defense, and the Seahawks couldn’t get anything going in that department. The team rushed for 127 yards but only managed 3.3 yards per carry. Marshawn Lynch ran the ball for 16 times and only amassed 45 yards. Not a good day for the running game, but they were picked up by Wilson and the passing game.

4. The Seahawks are undoubtedly the best team in the league
Not only do the Seahawks have the best record, they have the highest rating in several advanced team statistics as well. These two things are enough for most people to rank them number one in the league, but the statement they made tonight is they pass the eye test as well. The Broncos and their offense is nice, but the Seahawks offense can match them point for point, and their stifling defense shut down one of the most prolific offenses in the league. No one is stopping this team. No one in the NFC is coming close to stopping this team at Century Link, which is where the path to the Super Bowl now goes. The Seahawks are Super Bowl bound and they absolutely have enough to win the whole thing.

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