 |  |
|
| |
 |
July 2009
Categories
| January 2007All is quiet on the Seahawks front. Guys are getting evaluated, surgery, or just plain resting from a rigorous season. So let's take a look at what's happening around the NFL. If you're a Seahawk fan, do you want Dallas to hire Norv Turner? Good ol' Norv has a reputation (so far) as a better coordinator than a head coach. If he leaves San Fran, that could regress the maturation of Alex Smith. A less powerful Niners makes it easier for the Hawks to roll through the NFC West. That potentially means Seattle could put up the best record in the NFC and earn homefield advantage through the playoffs. On the other hand, if the Cowboys hire Norv, he could work some magic with Tony "Greasy Fingers" Romo. He's known for improving young QB's. The one-time Raider coach was also able to turn to malcontent receivers Randy Moss & Jerry Porter into productive players. Paging Terrell Owens. Now late word has Mike Singletary interviewing for the Dallas job, too. Singletary is the Niners Assistant Head Coach of Defense. Switching gears, something totally slipped by me last week. Did you see that former Husky Lincoln Kennedy signed with the Arena Football League? He's gonna play with the Dallas Desperados, insert Tony Romo joke, OK I will. Back to Lincoln, I remember the guy from the early 90's doing a little touchdown dance when Beno Bryant scored. I understand he wants to play, but c'mon. Time to hang it up. Now to the Super Bowl. Did you see that girl who's auctioning herself off for tickets? E-bay took it off its site, but it sounds like she's got tickets. Her name is Sarah Spain. Here's something for you Hawks fans to marinate on. ESPN's Page 2 Ranks all the Super Bowl teams. The Seahawks are 50th (out of 80 teams). Check out their reasons. I definitely think Seattle is better than #46 the 2004 Eagles & #44 the 1998 Atlanta Falcons (and even better than some of the teams that actually won the SB that are on the list). Finally, I know it's only been 2 weeks since his retirement, but I already miss former Hawks Center Robbie Tobeck. ...Let the debate begin. Over the weekend, a couple members of the sports department suggested that Super Bowl Sunday should become a National Holiday. Sure, it's the biggest sporting event of the year, it's the most watched Television event of the year, but I'm not quite sure if it should be put on the podium with President's Day or Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. So, whats your thoughts, should Super Bowl Sunday become a National Holiday? ...My first thought was, "What were Tyrone Willingham's initial thoughts?" Last month, Jim Mora, Jr. told his good buddy and old UW roommate, Hugh Millen, that his dream job was to coach the Washington Huskies. Oh wait...he didn't just tell Hugh, but he shared his ambition with the entire Pacific Northwest during a live interview on KJR. Jim, a little tip...when you're "on the air" that means, whether people are listening or not, they are hearing what you're saying. Maybe he didn't know that the Huskies already have a coach or maybe he didn't care. But, of course, the whole thing blew up and fizzled with Mora quipping that it was "just a joke." That was later followed with a kick in the pants...and don't let the door hit ya on the way out. Mora was fired by the Falcons after three season. The team finished 7-9 and failed to advance to the playoffs for the second consecutive season. So, a guy considered to have failed at the Falcons now becomes the most high-profile "assistant head coach/secondary" under Mike Holmgren. He didn't get his dream job with the Huskies, so Mora "settled" for a gig down the street. Mora fills the void left by the former defensive backs coach, Teryl Austin, who was not offered a contract for the 2007 season and last week signed with the Cardinals. Here's where the questions flow like Britney Spears' tears in a Matt Lauer interview. Was Mora hired to eventually replace Mike Holmgren? Is Holmgren planning to fulfill the 2 years left on his contract extension? Who really will be in charge of the Hawks' defense? Defensive coordinator, John Marshall or newly introduced ex-head honcho, Mora? And, if the Huskies stack yet another sub-par season, will Mora's presence across the lake pressure Todd Turner to bring on the alum? These questions are just that, questions. But it's worth the chatter. Mora has done his deal in the NFL for 21 seasons, and, all the while, has considered Seattle "home." But only time will tell which side of the lake he really considers "home"....and whether or not the NFL is his last stop. ...The former Atlanta Falcons head coach, who was fired at the end of the season, has joined the Seahawks as the assistant head coach. His job description will include the secondary -- Teryl Austin coached Seattle's defensive backs last season but just took a job in Arizona. Mora attended high school here and played for the Huskies as a DB from 1980-83. He said he's excited to come back to Seattle, and he told his son that "I've never considered any place else to be home." Welcome, Jim. So that's the Super Bowl, folks. Go Colts! ...Former Seahawks Quarterback Brock Huard joined myself on Sunday Night's Northwest Sports Tonight to update the health status of Hawks QB Matt Hasselbeck. The Seahawks have hired Special Teams guru Bruce DeHaven. He's spent the past 4 seasons in Dallas. I'm he'll get questions about the Cowboys botched field goal attempt in the playoffs. Obviously, not his fault, but now that he's a Seahawk, hopefully he'll have a good attitude about it. I'm guessing he won't be teaching the Romo to placeholder Ryan Plackemeier. DeHaven's signing comes on the heels of Bob Casullo's departure to Tampa. Casullo will serve as the Bucs Tight Ends coach. ...The Associated Press reports that Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck had surgery today. Doctors fixed the torn labrum problem is his left-shoulder (his non-throwing arm). Mike Sando of the Tacoma News Tribune reports that Hasselbeck had it done in Alabama. Dr. James Andrews gave him the second opinion. If Dr. Andrews did the surgery, Hasselbeck's shoulder should be money by the time camp starts. Dr. Andrews is a world renown surgeon. He's the guy who fixed Saints QB Drew Brees shoulder when he had a torn labrum. That was in his throwing arm and that didn't turn out too bad, did it. Hasselbeck will probably miss Mini-camps in May & June, but he should be back in time for Training Camp in July. One last note to pass on...Defensive Backs Coach Teryl Austin took a job with the Cardinals in the same capacity. He's been with the Hawks for the past 4 seasons. ...NFL.com is reporting that Matt Hasselbeck also has a torn labrum in his left shoulder on top of his broken fingers and bum knee. The site reports that surgery is "inevitable". That means the Hawks could go into training camp without a healthy Hasselbeck. Here's a website that gives a quick explanation of what a torn labrum means for Matt. Mike Sando's Blog in the Tacoma News Tribune says it could be an old injury, possibly from the 2004 playoff game with Green Bay. More than likely, he'll get a second opinion. The Hawks have a major investment in Matt and they'll want to make sure surgery is the right thing to do. Plus, for Hasselbeck, you don't want to be cut open unless it's necessary. Stay tune to the blog and KING-5. We'll have more as we learn more about his injury. Plus, catch Northwest Sports Tonight 9:30 on NWCN, 10:30 on KONG. We'll talk with Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Damon Huard about what an injury like that could mean to a quarterback. ...A little gossip out of Seahawks Headquarters today! First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes a baby in the baby carriage. Marcus Trufant recently asked his girlfriend for her hand in marriage. He already has a one and a half year old little girl. My money is on Marcus having longer hair than that baby girl! Another baby is on the way and SOON. Safety Michael Boulware is welcoming his first child in just three weeks. He said he's extremely nervous. He'd like to take his wife on a little after-the-season, romantic weekend away but he's too nervous the baby will come early. So Michael will spend this week preparing the baby's room and enjoying time alone with his wife...at home. Alone..at least for three more weeks! ...You have probably already heard that center Robbie Tobeck made it official and announced his retirement. Also, care of the TNT, the Seahawks will give their 24th pick in the '07 draft to the Patriots (part of the Deion Branch trade). Holmgren is holding his press conference now, so expect more later. ...Why I like looking ahead to next year. During the end of the season, the offensive line seemed to gel. Baring injury, the Seahawks'll have more weapons than ever. Matt's timing with Deon and Nate will only grow. Jerramy seems to be coming into his own. Shaun should be healthy, and I have to think he still has 'it'. It'd be nice to have a healthy Walter Jones. The defense ended the year on a roll. So many of the pieces of the Super Bowl puzzle are already in place, I can't help but imagine another post-season appearance in '08. Questions: Will Mack come back? Can the Hawks find help in the secondary and on the D-line? (If Tubbs comes back, do they need help?) Kudos to the coaching staff, they did a great job with injuries that would have floored lesser teams. ...From just outside the locker room… The Seahawks equipment guys are loading the trucks, guys coming out of the x-ray room. The tarp is going on the field. Here are a few quick notes from the postgame interview room… Coach. Tough loss, especially when it comes down to making a play or two. Very difficult having a game like that, losing a playoff game and having the season end after all the work of the past 8 month. On the other hand it was a rewarding season in the sense that a lot of players who normally wouldn’t have seen playing time stepped up and did a good job. Pass play near end of regulation was expected to be a shorter one instead of downfield. ...Say what you will, but the Seahawks had their chances. While it would've been nice to know why Mack wasn't in there at the end, Shaun ran the ball when he had to. Here's to thanking Ruskell for patching the team together. Here's to the players for leaving it all on the field. Pretty amazing the Seahawks did as well as they did with so many injuries. A toast to this year, and a toast to next year. GO HAWKS. ...With 49-yard field goal in OT. So close. A real heartbreaker. ...Hasselbeck sacked on third down, we're going into OT folks. Hawks win toss, to receive. ...Alexander stopped short of a first down after Hasselbeck bobbles the snap. Bears take over on their own 45 yard line. Hawks get a HUGE stop after knocking down two passes. We have it back, 1:38 left... ...Whoa that was close, it's now 24-24 with 4:24 left in the game. The Bears' drive was extended on a questionable first down call which put them in field goal range. ...Nice stand by the Hawks defense. Now it's time to get some more points on the board and try to seal the deal. I'm headed back down to the sidelines. More after the game... ...First throw after the Hunter interception, he throws an interception. A terrible throw while rolling out to the right. But the Hawks defense steps up again and gets a critical stop. Is that the crowd booing? ...Whew! New guy Pete Hunter steps up again. Chicago had driven the field by targeting the weak links in our secondary, especially Kelly Jennings. We get a critical stop, but Leroy Hill is called on a critical penalty, and the Bears keep the drive alive. And then "the loan officer" lands a big interception. ...Several players go to the refs at the break for the quarter... pleading their case on a ticky-tack call from the refs.... you can't make that call in the playoffs. They are quite animated... something you won't see while FOX is in a commercial break. But they can't worry about that now... hold 'em again and force a FG attempt. ...Shaun takes it in 13 yards for the score. The Seahawks looked great on that drive, coming off a solid defensive stop. On that pass interference call. The broadcast booth agrees. What's up with these refs? My favorite call so far: There was no flag. It fell out of an official's pocket. ...Josh Brown kicks the first field goal of the game after a great Seahawks drive ended when Alexander couldn't convert on third and one. ...Josh and Plackemeier on the field warming up as halftime wraps up. Team coming out of the tunnel with some good energy and pep in their step. Josh hitting practice kicks in the 50 yard range - into the wind. Much better range than pregame. That could be good news.... and he'll have the wind with him in the 4th quarter. The Bears WR Bradley is out of the game with an ankle injury. ...Chicago has 242 total yards, Seattle 137. Hawks are 2 of 7 on third down. Hasselbeck is 9/16 with lots of pressure: 5 hits, 5 hurries and 1 sack. Alexander has 9 carries for 33 yards. Burleson is burning things up with one TD and three returns averaging 32 yards. Peterson forced one fumble and nearly a second one. What adjustments do the Hawks need in the second half? The weather is holding, but Seahawks D can't make a stop. Skies are getting brighter, clouds lifting. The goalposts are swaying in the wind. Not going to be an issue if we can't make 'em kick. Let's hope we don't have to try a field goal at the end of the game -- right into the teeth of it. ...Thomas Jones runs it in on a fourth down play. ...On fourth and inches, Alexander pushes beyond the first down and into the end zone. Hawks capitalize on the Grossman fumble -- triggered by Julian Peterson -- and tie it up with 2:29 left in the half. ...Like Greg said, gotta capitalize. There ya go. This time the refs actually call it right. Almost an interception by Babineaux, should've been a fumble after that, and then the Bears touch and almost lose the punt - TWICE, but we can't get the right bounce. Heck, Grossman should have been called for grounding. Talk in the pressbox...the Seahawks need to catch a break or capitalize on Bear mistakes if they want to create some momentum. ...Long bomb to Berrian right through the middle of our secondary. Grossman is pumped after that 68-yard score. You can bet he'll keep testing our secondary deep. ...The Seahawk bench is certainly pumped after the Burleson catch. Good energy. Defense looking ready to step it up but have to watch for the big play. And yes, Brock, Paul and I concur... that was a fumble by Grossman on a great Babineaux hit. ...Nate Burleson on a 16-yard catch and stretch ties up the game. You have to give Hasselbeck a lot of credit on this drive. He's getting hammered by an aggressive rush, but he's still getting off some good passes. Let's hope his left hand doesn't become an issue. A close call, but a bad call. Grossman's arm wasn't in forward pass motion, if you ask me. ...Bears score on the opening drive with a Thomas Jones 9-yard run. This will be a high-scoring game, folks. ...The game is minutes away. We know the Saints are watching, hungry to see who they'll face. Feel free to leave any game comments below. GO HAWKS! ...On the field, about 30 degrees, breezy. Wind chill close to 20 degrees. Hawks look loose and ready. Might be a tough day for Josh Brown if he's asked to kick toward the north endzone. The wind is a bit wicked and he was short during warmups on everything over 45-48 yards. Clearly frustrated and was shaking his head in disgust. The field itself looks pretty firm, the sidelines are a mud pit. The receivers looked like they had a good grip on things in warm-ups (and during practice yesterday when we taped the pregame edition of the Mike Holmgren Show). Shaun and Nate look like they have good footing too. Hackett is on the sidelines in street clothes. We've seen a great bunch of Seahawk fans in town and they're here rooting from near the visitor tunnel entrance. Now it's gametime. Go Hawks. ...According to the Tribnet, DJack has been activated for the game. However, the Seahawks will be without the shoestring catches of DJ Hackett. Sando says Marcus Trufant is also inactive. ...The Mike Holmgren Show continues this week. We just finished shooting the show today at Soldier Field as the Seahawks hit the turf for a practice session. As usual we shipped in cases of gear, but instead setting up in the locker room, we're out on the grass at Soldier Field. Cold, but dry (for now). The groundskeeper was very protective of what looked like a pretty beat up field. Muddy edges and soft in the middle, even though it's got new sod. I'm sure it'll look fine on TV Sunday because they are painting it green. The forecast for tomorrow is for snow, so it may be white instead of green mud. Coach is in a relaxed, but focused mode. After the workout Shaun Alexander and Jordan Babineaux also joined us. They are upbeat and confident. Even though the NBC primetime games are done for the postseason, you'll still see the show in a primetime slot with a look at tomorrows big matchup with the Bears. The show tonight on KING5 at 9pm. ...Word on the street is the Seahawks are done holding training camp in Cheney. There's an article about this move in the Spokesman-Review. What does the Eastern and/or Central Washington contingency of the Seahawk Nation think of this move? ...The NFC battle airs tonight at 5 p.m. (PST) on Fox. Who will win? Who do we want to win? ...All right Seahawk fans, since we nailed the last game, it's that time again to find out what you think about Sunday's showdown in Chicago. I'm going against pretty much every sportscaster in the Universe, but I just have a feeling the Seahawks will find a way to pull this off. I think the key position in this game is the quarterback and I'll take Matt Hasselbeck anyday over Rex Grossman. Seahawks 21 Bears 13 See you on the Seahawks Fone Zone right after the game on Northwest Cable News! ...We're taping the Mike Holmgren Show tomorrow (Saturday) for airing later that night at 9 p.m. So it's time to post your pre-game questions in comments below, and we'll pick a few to throw at the coach during the show. As always, leave your first name and the city you live in so we can give you credit on the air... ...The plane is getting ready to head out to warm Chicago, and I'll beat the team to the hotel by a few hours. I really believe the players and coaches are excited to get this game underway for a couple reasons. First: Offensively, they are finding a little rhythm up front and with the plethora of weapons available, any one of them could have a big day (case-in-point, Stevens last week). Second: Rex Grossman is a wild-card. The Seahawks saw him in week four, red-hot and firing on all cylinders. They need to keep this game competitive to the fourth quarter, where Rex is the lowest rated passer in the NFL. Third: The Hawks are only sixty minutes away from the NFC Championship game. We have already seen how a play here or there can impact those sixty minutes dramatically. I will see you from Chicago after the game on the phone and via satellite. You will see my big brother Damon in studio next to Chris Egan, all on the Fone Zone. ...Need to help cheer the Hawks on a snow day? To repeat what Joel said in an earlier post: • BLUE FRIDAY - Fans can show their passion and support for the team by wearing Seahawks attire or blue clothing. I'll leave fans with a USA Today article, on how the game rest's on Matt's shoulders. On how he need to be great. ...This is pretty funny looking. Just found this on E-bay (update: it's now gone). It's a Tony Romo doll from the Wild Card game in Seattle. Do you think Jordan Babineaux is getting a kick back on this? No doubt, it's a collector item. Last bid at 8:00pm pacific was $253.86. Just found a site that proves the Seahawks have an uphill battle ahead of them. Former Cowboy Director of Player Personal Gil Brandt (which makes me suspect) says the #1 NFC seed hasn't lost in 18 years. That said, Brandt believes this a closer game than most suspect. Check out the link for his reasons why. Another site claims odds aren't good for the Seahawks to return to the Super Bowl. The odds are in the third paragraph from the bottom. We tossed those odds around the sports office. We all agreed we think we should throw a 10-spot for the heck of it. (Note: We are not endorsing gambling of any kind. Far from it. Again, we are not endorsing gambling.) The 12th Man knows how big homefield advantage throughout the playoffs can be. Here's a site to back it up. So you don't tug on Superman's cape or spit into the wind, but are those stats or numbers really gospel? Are the Hawks finished? Both the Hawks and da Bears are different teams since they first met back in October. Chicago is 8 and half point favorites, but call me skeptical, we'll see on Sunday if all the stats or numbers hold true. ...It took me so long to find a football expert picking the Seahawks to win, I'd nearly given up. MSNBC's Novacek? Nope, he selected the Bears. As did all the hosts of Inside the NFL on HBO, all of USA Today's experts, SI.com, as well as the Accuscore game simulation. All Bears, all the time. However, ESPN's Allen is going against the grain and picked the Hawks. Who else? The Madden '07 NFL Forecast has the Hawks winning in their game simulation, 17-10. ...Fine, fine memories. Worth revisiting. Here we go again. We're approaching game day, and the national press can't stop talking about our opponent. ESPN, USA Today, wherever you look, it's all about the Bears just like it was with the Cowboys last week. But what about our story? Overcoming all odds, we're a threat in the post-season once again. Where's our respect? Now last year, I was livid when the Hawks were ignored in the national press. But this year, it's growing on me. We already have our respect right here at home, and we don't need validation from the other coast. There's something very Seattle about coming out of nowhere and smacking some hot-to-trot, big-city team over the head while making the national media look like idiots. So here's to doing it once again, and showing up those unsuspecting Bears. The Seahawks might take the wintery weather with them when they travel to Chicago. The forecast is calling for a high of 32 degrees, cloudy, windy with snow/sleet mixed with freezing rain. I grabbed that info off the Chicago Tribune. Also on the Tribune, how the coaches and special teams match up, a link to the ChicagoSports.com blog, and which QB -- Matt or Rex -- has the better website. Boy, oh boy. They love to dog Rex in Chicago, don't they? (If you don't want to register and need a password for the Chicago Tribune, just head to bugmenot.com.) Just got an e-mail from the Seahawks on upcoming events to support the team: Thursday, January 11 • The 12th Man® flag will be raised on the Space Needle • G.I. Joe’s collecting fan signatures on “12” flags at Issaquah, Federal Way, and Northgate locations. Friday, January 12 • BLUE FRIDAY - Fans can show their passion and support for the team by wearing Seahawks attire or blue clothing. • 1:15 p.m. 200 Mercer Island High School students to stage “12” on MIHS football field located at 9100 SE 42nd Street, Mercer Island. • 2:15 p.m. Fans are encouraged to line the street south of 53rd in Kirkland as the team buses depart. Pick-up your “Bring on the 12” rally card at the Seahawks Pro Shop located on the west side of Qwest Field or Wells Fargo branches. The Pro Shop is open Monday-Saturday from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and Sundays from 12 p.m. – 5 p.m. ...Holmgren said he just brought in Gus Scott, who's played with the Dolphins and Patriots. Speaking of new guys in the secondary, a reporter asked Holmgren today if he knew that Pete Hunter was on ESPN's Cold Pizza show this morning. Holmgren said no and "I'm going to have a talk with him." ...No surprises. Both with ankle injuries, Marcus Trufant and D.J. Hackett are doubtful. DJack is questionable (turf toe), although Holmgren said he's likely to play. "We're in pretty good shape, considering," Holmgren said in today's press conference. ...Ok, take that comment in stride. However, have you heard 100.7 FM The Wolf's 12th Man version of Justin Timberlake's SexyBack? The Seattle radio station is leaping onto the blue and green bandwagon with the song I'm Matt Hasselbeck (be patient, it's a MP3 file). It's worth a listen. Had the wife cracking up. Did you know Saturday's game was the highest-rated prime time Wild Card game ever? The game had 26.8 million viewers and a 16.4 rating, according to Nielsen. S Josh Howell, who was picked up to help the beleaguered Hawks secondary, was waived after pulling a hamstring against Dallas. No word yet on who the Hawks will pick up. And an article from the Chicago Tribune, on how the Bears are going to try and stop Holmgren's offense. ...If you want to pile on the Cowboys, I've spotted a few videos on YouTube that are pretty good. I'll admit, the first was brought to my attention by the Times website. It's about Tony Romo called "Every Romo Hurts." Make sure you see the whole thing. It's somewhat comical. Then there's a video called "Why the Cowboys Stink." Here's possibly Terrell Owens' last post-game reaction as a Cowboy. He talks about the DB's who were signed off the street (safety John Howell & cornerback Pete Hunter who had a good game). Here's just good montage called "Cowboys Lose 2007." It's set to a Green Day song called Good Riddance (time of your life). Hopefully, our Cowboy friends that visited the blog last week come back to see the videos. Just got word that we'll do another "Mike Holmgren Show" (and although nothing is official, I'm guessing we'll do them until the Hawks season is done). The "Mike Holmgren Show" will air Saturday at 9 p.m. (changed from 8 p.m.) on KING 5. We'll do the show from Chicago. Should be an interesting show considering we've played the Bears already. If you've seen the show, you know every week we interview a player from the offense and a player from defense. Tell me who you'd like to see and what you'd ask. And remember to watch the "Mike Holmgren Show" Saturday 8pm on KING 5. ...From the blogosphere: Is the Seattle Art Museum rooting against the Seahawks? It is, according to a recent posting on Seattlest. According to the blog, the art museum was going to use the Space Needle as an advertisment for its new downtown Olympic Sculpture Park, opening January 20th. But since the Seahawks won, the 12th Man flag keeps flying, keeping an advert for SAM's new museum waiting for the Hawks to lose. If they win again, the 12th Man flag could keep flying past the park's opening date. ...After the wild card win, Matt says the team enjoys being in the role of underdog against the Bears. "I think everyone expects the Bears to win this game, so we've got nothing to lose," Hasselbeck said. "We just go out there, have fun, play as hard as we can and see what happens." Quick notes: Special teams coach Bob Casullo is now calling the game from the press box. Holmgren made the move after the Niners fake punt. Quick thought: Anyone think Jerramy can get as open on Urlacher as he did with the Cowboys? Quick link: Mike Sando at the TNT has a nice lineup chart, comparing starters for both teams, this game versus the October 1st blowout. Lastly, for stats fans: Accuscore on ESPN has Chicago winning 78% of the time. The same computer model had the Boys winning as well, but by a much smaller margin. ...You have to love this. The Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones is claiming the ball that Romo couldn't hang onto wasn't sufficiently cleaned by Seahawks personnel. Huh? Wha? Holmgren's take on the matter comes care of the Seattle Times: "The kicking balls, it's like they come in a Brink's truck," Holmgren said. "It's the darnedest thing you've ever seen. They're guarded." ...Contrary to an earlier report, Coach Mike Holmgren says Darrell Jackson probably will play this Sunday. "He's feeling better now than he did Monday last week," Holmgren said. On the other hand, DJ Hackett is still recovering from an ankle sprain and is "problematic" for Sunday. Trufant is still out, and Holmgren says he has a chance to play in the next game, after Chicago. There is an interesting story circulating, about the Seahawks playing a potential regular season "home" game in Britain or Germany in 2007. More will be announced during Super Bowl week. Six NFL teams are being looked at for this. With Seattle playing the China Bowl in Beijing against the Pats next August, I'd be surprised if the Hawks are chosen to go to Europe. ...Tonight the BCS Championship game could end the whole BCS "b.s." or at least give give it a good shot in the gut. I oppose the bowl series and strongly feel the need for a playoff system in college football. If #2 Florida (12-1) beats #1 Ohio State (12-0) then that leaves the top two teams with losses. Where does 13-0 Boise State fall in the picture? If Florida does beat Ohio State, then can the Broncos argue that they're the national champs?? And if the answer is "no," then why wasn't Boise State given the chance to be in the BCS? Their heart-stopping, statue of liberty finish over #7 Oklahoma, 43-42, is proof the ninth-ranked blue-collar club deserves a shot. Look for a heated debate in the BCS if Florida does beat Ohio State. How many years has it been now that the college football post-season system has been on the hot-seat? Players, coaches, and fans deserve an outright National Champ. ...Plenty of tickets up for grabs at Razorgator.com for the NFC Divisional Championship game in Chicago. Any 12th Men/Women planning to travel to the Windy City to cheer on the Hawks? ...Unless the NFL changes their schedule, the Seahawks v Cowboys game will air again on the NFL Network tomorrow at 5 pm and Thursday at 6 p.m. If you have access to the channel and haven't had a chance to see these versions of the games, they're worth recording. The games are cut down for time and post-game interviews and more are edited in. For some quick reading, ESPN gives three reasons why each team could win. Odds? The line has opened, with the Bears as 9-point favorites. ...You may remember that awful game the Seahawks had against the Bears back on October 1st. The Hawks lost, 37-6, giving up the big plays more than once and exposing flaws in the Hawks coverage of the deep pass. Over the last few, Chicago has stumbled a bit. The Bears lost the last regular season game to GB 26-7, in a meaningless game (Rex was pulled at halftime). Before that, the top seed in the NFC won tight games Detroit (26-21) and Tampa Bay (34-31 in OT). Good news for Hawks fans: Six opponents in a row have gained more than 325 yards of offense against the Bears. Chicago has also given up an average of 26 points over the last four, and nearly 300 yards passing in each of those games. The team has also had pass protection issues. All told, the Bears, who looked unbeatable early on, have kinks dulling their once brightly shining armor. Chicago was 6-2 at Soldier Field, 7-1 on the road. ...Well, there you go. The Seahawks will face the Bears in Chicago next Sunday, after the Giants lose to the Eagles on a last second field goal. The NFC divisional playoff game will be at 10 a.m., on Fox. To further what Chris said: the Seahawks will play either the Bears or the Saints, depending on who wins tonight in the Eagles v. Giants game. If the Giants pull out a win, the Hawks would not be the lowest seed and would play the Saints (Saturday 5 p.m. on FOX). If Phillie wins, the Hawks would be the lowest seed left and would play in Chicago (Sunday, 10 a.m. on Fox). The only way the Hawks would host the NFC Championship game would be if the Giants win over the Eagles and Chicago, and the Seahawks win against the Saints. (Me? I'd rather play the Saints. Not because of personnel, mostly because the Hawks have never done well in early morning games back East. At least the ones that count.) ...I know most Seahawk fans are still enjoying the incredible win over the Cowboys, but now we need to figure out who to root for today. If the Giants upset the Eagles, the Seahawks would play the Saints. If the Eagles win, the Seahawks head to Chicago to play the Bears. Personally, I think I'd rather play the Bears right now. Chicago's offense has struggled latley, the defense is injured and this is not the same Bears team the Hawks played way back on October 1st. The Saints simply scare me. Duece, Bush, Horn, Brees, Colston, Copper, Carney, they have some weapons. Bring on the Bears! ...Was knocked down by, guess who? "I cost the Dallas Cowboys a playoff win," said Romo. "That's going to sit with me for a long time." They're pointing to the reversed first down call at the goal line ("there was not enough evidence to overturn the play") and a couple pass interference calls. Yeah, right. ...The former loan officer who lives right next to the Dallas training facility -- who became a Seahawk starter with a phone call last week -- had this to say about the win: "Until last Monday, I was out of a job. I was pursuing another career. It means so much to me." Good job, Hunter! "Part of being a young quarterback, he's gonna go through some tough times," he said of Romo. "My hat goes off to a man, he lead that team to the playoffs, and he made the Pro Bowl." ...Just got home and have yet to watch any post game (I'll watch the game on DVR later). Quick thoughts: Matt appeared uneasy and seemed to force or was off on many throws. I also thought he didn't see receivers when they were open -- but I understand they may not have been the hot read. Secondary looked better than I had hoped. Chicago or America's Real Team, the Saints are next. Which team would you rather face? Either way, I'm not confident the offense has found itself...yet. Man, I have to agree with a good friend: the highest number of bizarre big plays in a game, maybe ever. GO HAWKS! Now to go find my voice. ...that will be on the front page of Dallas newspapers tomorrow. "Big play Babs" stopped Romo just short of the first-down yardage following the botched field goal attempt. "I see Romo fumbled the snap," said Jordan Babineaux. "I wasn't afraid of him getting a first down, I was afraid of him scoring a touchdown. I knew I had to make the diving tackle and was fortunate enough to grab his ankles and stop him short of a first down." ...Seahawks punt after three-and-out, and Cowboys long bomb knocked to the ground!!! Hawks win 21-20! Romo faces disgrace when he returns to Dallas. The Seahawks refuse to lose despite a hobbled defense. "It feels great," said Kelly Jennings, Hawks cornerback, who triggered the fumble that resulted in a safety. "The whole time during the week they were criticizing our secondary, who we couldn't do, how we wouldn't be able to match-up, but we did a great job showing everyone what we can do." ...Romo screwed up the hold and tried to run it in, Hawks stop him at the goal line! Romo fumbled and Hawks recover right at the one yard line!!!!!! Jerramy Stevens has been criticized all season for dropping passes, but he just scored on a 37-yard touchdown pass! Hawks try unsuccessfully for a two-point conversion, so it's 21-20 Hawks with 4:24 left. GO DEFENSE! ...Cowboys fumble at the one, then it bounces all over the place in the end zone until the Hawks recover -- but Tatupu's foot was on the line, so the ref's (after review) call it a safety. Dallas leads 20-15, and they have to kick off to the Hawks. I think we just answered the question below. ...Should Holmgren have kicked a field goal instead of going for it? ...Jackson's turf toe is re-aggravated, and Hackett sprained his ankle on that interception. It looks like they're both out, but Engram and Stevens are stepping up. ...Huge stop by the Seahawks in the red zone, forcing the Cowboys to kick a field goal. They lead by a touchdown. It's 4th quarter situations like these that Hasselbeck shines... ...Holmgren challenged it, but NBC didn't have any good camera angles on it, so there wasn't enough "conclusive" evidence to reverse it. Cowboys ball. Meanwhile, D.J. Hackett was injured on the play. ...I realize the game isn't over, but Mike Holmgren will be live right after the game, and we're going to throw him a few of your questions. Post them in comments below before the end of the game. Remember to post your name and the town you live in (Cowboys fans not welcome). ...Miles Austin runs it back 93 yards for a Cowboys touchdown. We knew this was going to be a battle... ...Twice the Hawks faced fourth down and short, and they converted first downs on both. Then Jerramy Stevens pulls it down in the end zone for a TD. Seahawks lead 13-10. Nobody can accuse Holmgren of conservative play calling this time. ...Leave 'em in comments. What do the Hawks need to do? If you ask me, just look at the stats: Hasselbeck is just 7/19 for 80 yards, with 1 INT. Alexander has 11 carries for just 28 yards. These two guys have to step up and deliver. The defense, overall, has done an admirable job given the situation. But our offense is virtually at full strength, and we only have six points on the board. After a 4th down gamble that resulted in a first down and goal, the Romo threw a short pass to Crayton for a touchdown with seconds left in the half. ...T.O. dropped a critical third-down pass, and NBC cuts to a Hawks fan holding a sign, "T.O.'s dropped pass tally:17." ...So far, knock on wood. See that shot of T.O and Romo looking at photos on the sidelines? They're trying to poke some holes, but so far our hobbled secondary is doing a great job. ...Dallas stopped us again in the red zone, and Madden questions Holmgren's call to run Matt Strong on a draw play on 3rd and 7. Josh Brown scores again. ...Romo is 4/11 and throwing low, thanks in part to steady pressure from the Hawks defensive line. Hasselbeck is 6/15 with one interception, and he keeps throwing into defensive players for blocks and near-interceptions. What happened to all the predictions about this being such a big scoring game? But there's still plenty of time (and the Hawks are driving...) ...Gotta love it. But Hawks can't capitalize on it and punt it away. Hasselbeck's first pass in his second offensive drive was picked off, yet Seattle's defense stepped up for a big stop. Romo has targeted new guy Hunter once, for a completion, and you can be sure to see more of that. "Why not keep going after (the secondary)?" Madden asked, after another Dallas short gain. ...A great first drive, other than the broken up third-down pass. Seahawks lead, 3-0. ...Injured Marcus Trufant raised the 12th Man flag. The 12th Man is electric. GO HAWKS! ...Ok, now I'm pumped after watching that NBC open that showed the Seahawks loss in the Super Bowl, followed by Hasselbeck and Alexander, "We've been waiting all year for this, let's play." Strap in folks... ...Holmgren just told NBC that Darrell Jackson (turf toe) is going to play, although he's not 100 percent. "If he can give me 20 plays, that would be a real bonus for us." KING 5's Lisa Gangel reports that D.J. Hackett is on the active list, although it's unlikely he'll get many plays. Rob Sims will start in place of Womack at left guard. And no real injury changes of note to report for the Cowboys. Meanwhile, Holmgren also said the first quarter will be "punch counter punch" and he'll evaluate how the defense is doing before adjusting his offensive game. ...Shaun Alexander in the pregame show about this season to date: "It's been the greatest character challenge for me and my team and probably in Seahawk history. We've been hit in the mouth with possibly everything that could be hit. We've lost every lineman, our backfield is beat up, our quarterback is beat up, our receivers are beat up, our D linesmen are beat up, our linebackers are beat up, our DBs are all beat up. Ok. You give us all the shots you can give us. Here's our statement: we're still here. We're gonna fight this thing until the end." ...What a feeling, playoff football. As I made my drive from Puyallup to the King-5, NWCN studios today it was a pleasure to see all the cars and trucks driving with 12th man and Seahawk flags. The fever is back. Grocery stores are packed with Hawk fans getting ready for big parties and another Super Bowl Run. Yes, I said Super Bowl run. With that in mind, I'm going with Seattle today over America's Team. Seahawks 28 Cowboys 17 (what's your prediction?) See ya on the Fone Zone, 9 p.m. on Northwest Cable News. Get read to roar, 12th Man. ...NBC's Andrea Kremer just reported from Qwest Field that the injured DJack, Hackett, Womack and Gray are still game-time decisions. We'll update as soon as we hear... ...Okay, Blue Believers -- it's closing in on game time. It'll be interesting to see what Holmgren has in his pocket (see Seneca's catch last year). I'll be heading down to the game in a little bit but will try and text message Cory when I'm not screaming. He'll keep the blog updated during the game. Game. On. Go Hawks! ...Meteorologist Jeff Renner just instant-messaged me his forecast for 5 p.m. game time at Qwest Field: "A few showers at kick off, with increasing rain likely in the second half. Temps in low 40's. Winds from the south at 10-20 m.p.h." Sounds like Seahawks weather to me. The TNT is reporting that the Seahawks have waived TE Itula Mili and added WR Ben Obomanu. You may have noticed the Hawks using G Tom Ashworth as an extra blocker last week, in place of a TE. Have to wonder if DJack or Hackett will play... ...Help us build a list of the top 12 reasons -- in honor of the 12th Man, of course -- the Cowboys are going to get schooled by the Hawks tomorrow. Leave 'em in comments below... ...In case you didn't know, thirty-six-year-old Seahawk Robbie Tobeck told the Seattle Times that the center plans on retiring at the end of this season. "I've made my decision," he told the Times. "I'm going to retire." Today's article covers his decision, and what the other 'seasoned' players, Mack Strong and Chris Gray are facing. ...Everyone in the office wearing blue? If not, I'd say pinch those who aren't (but then I'd get some nasty emails). Overall, this game feels to close to call. Advantage leans towards the Hawks--homefield, 12th Man, offense surging while the Dallas' defense appears shellshocked--but if the Hawks get down early... For Cowboy fans still lurking, the NFL.com has a clever data miner to select a team to root for when the 'Boys are sent packing. And for Hawks fans, don't forget to represent the West Side by sending a "friendly" salvo to the Cowboys blog in Dallas. They seem to think their blog is America's Blog. Quote: The 12th man will go home crying this weekend. Oh and the bloggers will bow down to the might of the Matt Mosley blog! What was that? The 12th Man? Opponents have a league leading 50 false start penalties at the Qwest? What? ..."We've had a good practice week," Holmgren told reporters. "I've been pleased with the way the guys have focused. They understand it's the playoffs and it's sudden death, and they practiced that way." Watch the full interview here. KING-5 just learned that Julian Peterson is a new dad. He missed practice for the birth of his child. Good timing. Coach Mike Holmgren excused him from practice to be there for the birth. Holmgren said he's all for having babies, just as long as he's there for playoff game against the Cowboys. He got his wish. Peterson will be available for the game. Congratulations Julian Peterson! ...I've read some of the posts and I was left feeling really awful for the Dallas Cowboy fans. Here's a movie, left in the spirit of cooperation. When Deion Branch debuted the infamous green gloves everybody wanted to get their hands on a pair. Yeah, they look sweet on the field and even better when they're catching a football. But Mike Holmgren says he's not a fan. Actually, he says he hates them! At Wednesday's press conference Holmgren told us of his days on the competition committee when he actually had a say on what gloves got marketed to the NFL...or so he thought. A year before the gloves actually made it to the players, the committee would meet. A whole bunch of power hungry guys gathered together to make a decision on what gloves players should wear. They'd look at about 20 pairs, touch them, try them on, and them pass them down the table. Really...it could have been a sitcom. Anyway, all the men would end up saying "no" to every single pair. None of them were good enough. But little did he know...no one cared what he thought! The first game of the next season, Holmgren looked across the field at the opponent and saw those same crazy gloves that he vehemently voted "no" on. The gloves were already in production when they had the meeting to vote! Jokingly he said someone way, way, way above him made the decision and the glove meeting was just to humor the big timers. Well, bad news for Holmgren. About 50,000 pairs of green gloves will be distributed to fans before the game Saturday. It's going to be a sea of that bright green color Holmgren hates so much! GOOOOOO SEAHAWKS!!! ...Guaranteed, Saturday's game will come down to who turns the ball over the least. Or should I say, the Seahawks will win if they don't turnover the ball. Seattle has gone from 7th best in the NFL with +10 takeaways/giveaways in 2005 to the 5th worst with -8 takeaways/giveaways. A lot of that comes from the injuries and basically a second pre-season for the Hawks. That second pre-season started when Shaun Alexander and Matt Hasselbeck came back from injuries. It's taken some time for them to shake off the rust. Case in point, take the three game losing streak. The first game in that streak was against Arizona. The Hawks started the third quarter by forcing the Cards to make a 53 yard field goal. They missed. Seattle proceeded to hand the ball off 5 straight times to Shaun. Eventually, they scored when Matt made an incredible throw that was only matched by a great catch by D-Jack. Next series, the Hawks "D" forces a "3 and out." Momentum was definitely on Seattle's side, until Mack Strong's fumble. Arizona turned it around and went on to win, 27-21. The next game was against San Francisco. ...In cased you missed it last night on Northwest Sports Tonight (9:30 & 11:30 on NWCN or 10:30 on KONG), Defensive Tackle Craig Terrill is going to earn his Seahawks money on the field Saturday. Of course you know he's on injured reserve list, but that won't stop him from performing. Terrill will sing the National Anthem. Yes, you heard correctly, our sources tell us the guy who entertained his teammates last season during the playoffs and played with owner Paul Allen will croon the National Anthem in front of the 12th Man Saturday. Just in case he gets a little nervous and bails, we've also learned Train frontman Patrick Monahan will be ready to fill in. I'm sure Terrill will nail it and Monahan will have a nice ticket to see a win. So be sure to be loud and proud of the big defensive tackle's performance 12th Man. ...The last full practice before Saturday's Wild Card game is over and done. On the injury front: Chris Gray and Floyd Womack practiced with the offense. DJack and D.J. Hackett worked out but did not participate in team drills. Both will likely be game-day decisions. Julian Peterson's wife is expecting, so the LB missed practice. Also, Leroy Hill was upgraded to probable. No injuries to report for the Cowboys. ...
Mainly because I no longer have patience for the so-called Experts' Picks. ESPN'S John Clayton writes about the Hawks chances against a Cowboys team that is the most healthy in the NFC. CBS Sportsline has two lines worth reading, the first on all the questions swirling in the Seahawks offensive nest. The second is a break down on the head-to-head, with an Accuscore prediction that America's Team will win. And you can always head to the Dallas Morning News blog to see the reporter dis questions thrown at Bill Parcells by his Seattle counterparts. ...An exchange during Holmgren's Wednesday news conference regarding the acquisition of Pete Hunter (the loan officer), John Howell (the elk hunter) and Rich Gardner (the gym rat) -- three guys haven't played in a while: Q: The new guys, how much action are they gonna get? Holmgren: Probably too much. (Everyone laughs) They're great young guys, and they're gonna have to play. It's not a great situation for them. They're excited about the opportunitiy, but you know, they're going against some very fine players. But there's no alternative, so, they'll play. From Kirkland: Marcus Trufant is doubtful. Chris Gray, D.J. Hackett (hip flexor--not groin), Leroy Hill, Darrell Jackson and Floyd Womack are questionable. Rocky Bernard and Nate Burleson are listed as probable. The TNT is reporting that according to coach Holmgren, Marcus Trufant will not play. No word yet on the Cowboy injury front. ...Why I am glad the game is in Seattle: At the onset, I wondered if the fan base had to do with locale. My inner fan had to peer past the similarities between the two cities to understand better. While Seattle was settled in 1851, Dallas was founded in 1841. Seattle gets 38 inches of rain per year, Dallas 37.1. According to recent research, Seattle is the most literate city, having the highest percentage of college graduates and Dallas has the most...shopping centers per capita. Yes, here in the Emerald City, the Puget Sound's 3.8 million 12th Men can proudly toast their lattes and listen to Nirvana, Heart, even Kenny G as he (or she) proudly drives to the game, passing down Skid Row to Nordstrom, Microsoft, Amazon.com, Boeing, Zymogenetics, heck--even UPS is home grown. So what exists in Big D to cheer on the urban cowboys of the Bible Belt? What do they have to inspire their drawling 12th Man? While the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington area of 5.8 million people has 11 billionaires to boast, the fans must cruise past the corporate homes of 7-Eleven, Exxon-Mobil, Blockbuster, CompUSA, Zales, and finally, the home of the corn chip--Frito Lay. ...Hurting in the secondary, the Hawks picked up a cornerback and signed a safety, landing S John Howell and CB Pete Hunter. The team placed Kelly Herndon and Jimmy Williams on IR. Howell was a Seahawk back in 2005. Hunter has played for the Cowboys and the Browns. Both may play on special teams. (On a side note, here's an article I found today from NFL.com with harsh words about Holmgren and his decision to play his players in the meaningless Bucs game.) ...America's Team? Anyone still think that? T.O., purveyor of the American dream? Romo, so distracted by Carrie Underwood he forgets to throw to hold onto the ball? Okay, in all fairness I was indoctrinated to be a Cowboys fan by a grandmother who came from Texas. As a child, I even lived in Texas. But as a Seahawk fan since the 1970's, I'd boo America's Team louder than, say, an Elway run Denver team (But thanks to the 'Boys, the Hawks play in Prime Time. Anyone think if the Hawks were facing the Eagles, it would be the Prime Time game? Or the Saints?) But I will not count the 'Boys easy prey, not with their coach. You know Bill Parcells is licking his chops when he thinks of the Hawks secondary. What's being said: USA Today breaks down the stats, head-to-head. Dallas Morning News has an article on why the Hawks need to take flight against the Cowboys. And the Fort Worth Star Telegram has a story on how Dallas can win the Super Bowl. ...We'll wait for the official word from the Seahawks, but tickets sold out ridiculously fast this morning. Both my fiancee and I were refreshing Seahawks.com and Ticketmaster.com, and within 15 seconds or less after it opened up, we clicked the "search for tickets" button and got that depressing screen, "There were no tickets available that matched that request." (And we're FAST, because we've done this lots of times.) Even the single seats were gone in a minute or two. Which makes me wonder, are there that many people who were really faster than us? Or are some folks out there illegally automating the process somehow? Update: The Seahawks says tickets sold out in "20 minutes" (they always say that), and they don't have a number on how many sold. I'll start with what the New Year's oddsmakers are surmising for the Wild Card game at the Qwest: Hawks win by three. The Accuscore computer model at ESPN, however, has the Cowboys winning 53% of the time. Thankfully, the 'Boys haven't been able to stop anyone lately (see Kitna's performance last week) and the Hawks offense seems to be clicking, finally. We'll have to wait until tomorrow to see DJ Hackett's condition. Fingers crossed, because the wide-out gets my vote for team MVP. As far as the secondary, I'm on the fence about how worried to be. Ok, so the Hawks will play less man-to-man coverage and more zone. Jennings made some nice plays last week, and looks more comfortable. And Babineaux has played well against the Cowboys in the past. Add in Romo's first playoff appearance, sprinkle a little of the spectacle that is TO, a touch of the moodiness of their coach (along with Dallas' recent seemingly lemming-like impersonation) and I'm left sensing an old fashion shoot out--and I'd much rather have Matt and his six guns of experience than the shining star Romo. If you need some more reading about the Cowboys mental state, check out the Dallas Morning News. ...Alright folks, the playoffs are here, and the first game is at home. We all know that the 12th Man wins games, pure and simple, by the sheer noise we generate. Yet in the games I've attended at Qwest this season, I've been shocked to see so many "fans" in the stands who sit there with their mouths shut. So here's what I propose. If you're a "fan" who doesn't plan on using your vocal chords to contribute to the game against the Cowboys on Saturday, then sell your tickets to someone who will and STAY HOME and watch it on TV. We're going into this game with a very vulnerable secondary, and the 12th Man will decide it. Get loud or stay home, folks. ... |
The 
