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July 2009
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| March 2007By now, most of America has seen the video of sailor Bill Hawes surprising his 6-year old son John at school, after returning from a seven month deployment to Iraq. The video struck a chord in this county that continues to resonate. I was originally scheduled to be there for Bill's return, but couldn't because of a late-breaking news story. It would have been a reunion of sorts. You see, Bill Hawes and I went to school together. We played in the school band at Sedro-Woolley High and were part of the same graduating class. If I recall correctly, he played the saxophone. Bill was the quiet type, I didn't really know him all that well. But when I saw his name on the assignment sheet and it said he was returning to Sedro-Woolley, I figured it had to be same person I knew back when. ...By now, most of America has seen the video of sailor Bill Hawes surprising his 6-year old son John at school, after returning from a seven month deployment to Iraq. The video struck a chord in this county that continues to resonate. I was originally scheduled to be there for Bill's return, but couldn't because of a late-breaking news story. It would have been a reunion of sorts. You see, Bill Hawes and I went to school together. We played in the school band at Sedro-Woolley High and were part of the same graduating class. If I recall correctly, he played the saxophone. Bill was the quiet type, I didn't really know him all that well. But when I saw his name on the assignment sheet and it said he was returning to Sedro-Woolley, I figured it had to be same person I knew back when. ...The 2002 number one pick, David Carr, is coming to Seattle for a visit. The former Texans QB is looking for a team. He wants a fresh start and, if the Hawks want him, get his confidence back under the tutelage of one of the best offensive minds in the game. This obviously makes sense for Seattle, too. If he's a capable backup, and I mean a #2 and not gun shy (he was sacked 249 times in 5 seasons), then the Hawks can use Seneca as a wide out. And it could have a domino effect. If you use Wallace at wide receiver, you can trade a certain starting receiver and save cap space. Although that same receiver could be gone by or on draft day anyways, Carr or no Carr. Another factor in Carr coming to Seattle could be Trent Dilfer. The former Seahawk befriended Carr back when he was at college. Both went to Fresno State. Here's an old NFL.com article on said friendship prior to Carr's rookie year. In the article, Dilfer compares him a bit to Dan Marino and John Elway. ...The call came from a Thurston County Sheriff's Lieutenant: "If you're interested, we've got a human skull in the woods. And we've got search teams in the area." The call came from a Thurston County Sheriff's Lieutenant: "If you're interested, we've got a human skull in the woods. And we've got search teams in the area." Every time Western Washington gets significant rainfall, the Skagit Valley prepares for flooding. Currently, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is redrawing the flood plain maps for the Skagit River Basin. The earliest renditions of the maps show the 100-year flood mark being, in some cases, 8 feet higher than previously thought! This has created consternation among cities in the Valley. Such changes in flood elevation could mean new businesses would have to be built on stilts or have enough dirt brought in to raise property elevations before development. The cities plan to fight the Corps' findings because of the potential economic impact. This is all happening against the backdrop of what was very nearly, according to some hydrologists and engineers, the worst flood ever on the Skagit River. In early November, when Western Washington saw record rainfall, the Skagit rose rapidly. There were predictions that many parts of Mount Vernon and Burlington would be severely flooded. So what happened? According to those who made the predictions, the storm system that was dumping all the rain, made a last minute turn to the south. Rain that would have drained into the Skagit, ultimately dumped elsewhere... the 100-year flood, avoided. We'll never really know what could have happened, but it does make the debate over these soon-to-be released flood plain maps very interesting. ...Every time Western Washington gets significant rainfall, the Skagit Valley prepares for flooding. Currently, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is redrawing the flood plain maps for the Skagit River Basin. The earliest renditions of the maps show the 100-year flood mark being, in some cases, 8 feet higher than previously thought! This has created consternation among cities in the Valley. Such changes in flood elevation could mean new businesses would have to be built on stilts or have enough dirt brought in to raise property elevations before development. The cities plan to fight the Corps' findings because of the potential economic impact. This is all happening against the backdrop of what was very nearly, according to some hydrologists and engineers, the worst flood ever on the Skagit River. In early November, when Western Washington saw record rainfall, the Skagit rose rapidly. There were predictions that many parts of Mount Vernon and Burlington would be severely flooded. So what happened? According to those who made the predictions, the storm system that was dumping all the rain, made a last minute turn to the south. Rain that would have drained into the Skagit, ultimately dumped elsewhere... the 100-year flood, avoided. We'll never really know what could have happened, but it does make the debate over these soon-to-be released flood plain maps very interesting. ...Former Seahawk Jerramy Stevens seems to be in a pickle. Scottsdale police released his blood alcohol level from his March 13th arrest. Police say it was .204, two and a half times the legal limit of .08. According to Arizona law, Stevens could face a 30-day jail sentence. ...The Cowboys have signed former Seahawk Ken Hamlin. ESPN reports it's a 1-year deal worth 2.5 million. Sounds like a good deal for Dallas and Hamlin. Good for the Cowboys because there's no huge signing bonus (not sure he could have commanded it). Good for Hamlin because if he can resurrect his career, he'll command a bigger contract next year. He's only 26 and playing next to Roy Williams, who knows. ...Photographer Eric Wold and I have spent the last couple days in a Snohomish County courtroom, where a man accused of a brutal attack on an Everett woman is going through a competency hearing. These hearings allow a judge to determine if a person is mentally fit to stand trial for the crime of which they are accused. The attorney representing the accused, Anthony Viscussi, says his client suffers from psychosis and has a long history of drug use that has made the mental illness only worse. His behavior in the courtroom has led the judge to force Viscussi to wear a spit mask and be restrained to a chair. While this is an extreme case, it certainly is not unique. Whenever I cover a story like this, I wonder how things could have been different. Did they slip through the cracks, did they have a tough home life, is it biological, did the system fail them? I don't know the answer. As a parent myself, looking across the courtroom and seeing Anthony Viscussi's father weeping for his son was heartbreaking. I come home from covering stories like this and give my own son a big hug. ...Photographer Eric Wold and I have spent the last couple days in a Snohomish County courtroom, where a man accused of a brutal attack on an Everett woman is going through a competency hearing. These hearings allow a judge to determine if a person is mentally fit to stand trial for the crime of which they are accused. The attorney representing the accused, Anthony Viscussi, says his client suffers from psychosis and has a long history of drug use that has made the mental illness only worse. His behavior in the courtroom has led the judge to force Viscussi to wear a spit mask and be restrained to a chair. While this is an extreme case, it certainly is not unique. Whenever I cover a story like this, I wonder how things could have been different. Did they slip through the cracks, did they have a tough home life, is it biological, did the system fail them? I don't know the answer. As a parent myself, looking across the courtroom and seeing Anthony Viscussi's father weeping for his son was heartbreaking. I come home from covering stories like this and give my own son a big hug. ...Former Husky star Marques Tuiasosopo is headed to New York to play with the Jets. Tui leaves the Raiders for a 1-year deal worth the veteran's minimum. He's still dealing with his PAC-10 ties. Marques will compete with former Ducks QB Kellen Clemens for the backup role. Another note for you, it's something we all knew last season...Rams RB Marshall Faulk officially retired. His knees just gave way. Last year, Faulk did a promotional tour for a video game. He got a little perturbed when anyone asked him about retirement. Faulk wasn't ready to let go yet. I guess his body had the final say Monday. Did anyone see the Tony Dungy story? I can't believe he came out and took a stand against gay marriages. He says he's not anti-anything, but when you says hetro-marriage is the only way to go, doesn't that mean your "anti"-gay marriage? I've never heard a bad thing about Dungy. He's always perceived as a great guy, but this has to due something to his image. I understand everyone has to have a point of view and not everyone is going to agree on everything. Plus, I know he's not going Tim Hardaway on the subject, but no matter how you say it, nicely or hateful, it's still intolerance of another group in a public forum. I wonder how that's going to play out in the public and/or with the NFL. ...As a Bureau Chief, the day starts early. We find our own stories; I usually start looking around 7:30. Sometimes it's easy, and they come fast. Sometimes it's not, and it's the deadline to find a story that seems to come fast. ...As a Bureau Chief, the day starts early. We find our own stories; I usually start looking around 7:30. Sometimes it's easy, and they come fast. Sometimes it's not, and it's the deadline to find a story that seems to come fast. ...NFL.com reports that S Ken Hamlin is going to visit Dallas on Wednesday. Adam Schefter calls it a perfect match. Dallas needs a veteran safety and Hamlin needs a team. Paired with Roy Williams, the Cowboys could field a tough hitting crew that would make receivers hear footsteps all day long...as long as they don't ask Hamlin to tackle, they should be fine. ...During today's presser for the new Seahawks facility, Hawks President Tim Ruskell talked about free agency. Ruskell confirmed that the team is interested in bringing WR Bobby Engram and G Chris Gray back. He also re-affirmed something we already knew. The Hawks aren't interested in bringing TE Jerramy Stevens back. ...Today I thought I'd check out what others are saying about the troubled tight end named Jerramy. With Leather is a little harsh on Stevens. Mike Sando's blog on the Tacoma News Tribune has the police report. Steve Kelly of the Seattle Times piles on calling him an "inveterate knucklehead." Rob Hurtt from the Sporting News makes a keen observation. He says "Any teams that had interest in Stevens must be reconsidering, although the Bengals might be more interested now." Funny because it's true. Who knows, maybe Britney Spears needs a new friend, too. OK, that was an easy and predictable shot. P-I scribe Art Thiel calls Stevens the "saddest Seahawk of them all." Times reporter Danny O'Neill breaks down the former Husky's checkered past. It's a timeline of his arrests and court dates. Just in case you want to reminisce here's a link to the Jerramy Stevens vs. Joey Porter war of words prior to Super Bowl XL. It even has the video! Maybe we can talk Pearl Jam into remaking their song "Jeramy" and make it about Stevens. Have fun with that one. ...Unrestricted free agent Bobby Engram is visiting the French Quarter today. OK, not the French Quarter, but he's visiting the Saints. Matt Hasselbeck's favorite receiver (though not statistically, just verbally by Matt) is free to sign anywhere. It would be hard to believe that Hasselbeck isn't pressing the Hawks to re-sign him. But Seattle has a full stable of receivers. The New Orleans situation isn't much better. They have 3 talented, but young wideouts (Marques Colston, Terrance Copper, Devery Henderson). Plus, last year's number one pick, Reggie Bush, will certainly catch more balls. And the just signed free agent TE Eric Johnson (he caught 82 passes in '04). Not trying to poo-poo Engram's future success, I'd just rather have him be successful in a Hawks uniform. ...As you've probably seen on the front page of our sports section, Hawks free agent (and probably former) tight end Jerramy Stevens was busted in Arizona for being under the influence and possession of pot. His first court appearance is scheduled for April 2nd. This is Stevens' 5th flair up with police since 1998. As much as I think it would be hard to part with the talented, but troubled TE, you gotta believe the Hawks will use this as a point to part ways. The "Seahawk Way" is based on keeping and attracting players with character. 5 run-ins with Johnny Law has to make the Hawks question Stevens commitment/judgement. Add that to the Hawks latest signing (the Times reports the Hawks have signed TE Marcus Pollard) and you can see Stevens ship sailing out of Seattle. Stevens has been on our show, Northwest Sports Tonight, a couple of times. In my limited interaction with him, he seemed like a decent person. Sometimes you get into a cycle and it's hard to break. Maybe the troubled tight end could benefit from a fresh start. Too bad, that more than likely, the 12th man won't personally see it come to fruition. Stevens will more than likely have to turn over a new leaf with a new team. ...According to Mike Sando of the Tacoma News Tribune, the Seahawks have signed safety Brian Russell. Russell is another guy that fills the typical player that the Seahawks like. He's a hard working, intelligent player, good person off the field, hard hitting on the field type of guy. He started with the Minnesota Vikings as an undrafted free agent. If I remember correctly, he earned a bonus from the NFL or a better contract from the Vikes for playing beyond his supposed abilities in either 2002 or 2003. Sorry, I'm not 100% on the details, but my point is, he's got a great work ethic, good in the locker room, and should be a solid backup on the Hawks. ...According to ESPN's John Clayton, the Deon Grant deal is done. As we told you earlier, Grant was a Seahawk, but they just had to tidy up a couple of things. Who knew it was that Grant needed to fly back to put his John Hancock on the deal. Clayton reports it's a 6-year deal worth $30 million. Talk about "Making it Rain"...the Hawks are willing to spend some dough. The football stud, John Clayton, says Grant's deal is believed to be the 3rd highest for a safety. ...KING-5 has learned that the Seahawks have nearly signed safety Deon Grant. According to the Hawks, the deal is imminent. They probably just have to sign off on a few details. Once this happens, it'll probably mean the end of Ken Hamlin's career in Seattle. As I've written in a previous blog, Grant is pretty much the Anti-Hamlin. He's good in coverage, a leader and decent tackler. More to come. ...The Seahawks have released Grant Wistrom. It's no surprise after the Hawks signed DE Patrick Kerney. Here's the P-I's take. According to Claire Farnsworth of the P-I, Wistrom's cap hit for 2007 is $2.33 million, then $4.66 million in '08. Wistrom was set to make $3.5 mil this season. The knock on Grant is that he hasn't lived up to his big contract. He only had 8 sacks over the past 2 seasons. But seriously, who are you gonna double on that line? At least this past season, the defensive tackles were either on the D.L. or playing on one leg (Rocky Bernard - no knock, actually give him credit for doing what he did). Of course, you'll focus on Grant. That's probably why Bryce Fisher had a good year. Again, I'm not knocking Fisher. He's a really good DE, but someone is going to get the double team. So now you have Patrick Kerney at Grant's spot, Fisher at right DE, and Darryl Tapp is given another year to develop. Not a bad trio. Who knows, maybe Grant will re-sign at a smaller cap slot. I doubt it. No matter what, Grant is a great guy who did a lot of things in the community. Who can forget his Halloween parties. Two years ago he went as Willie Wonka. Last year as Ronald McDonald. Good Luck to Grant. I'm sure he'll catch on somewhere. He's got some gas in the tank left. ...Jacksonville safety Deon Grant is in town to visit the Seahawks. Don't be surprised if he leaves with a contract in hand. He's the anti-Hamlin. Grant's a decent coverage guy, but he's not gonna knock your block off. More and more I believe Hamlin is done as a Hawk. If Seattle signs Grant, they'll have Babs, Mike Green (who the Hawks liked a lot last fall before he got hurt), Boulware, Guss Scott on the practice squad, and Oliver Celestin (he's a restricted free agent on the Hawks). The first four could be a good group. Now for a couple more free agent notes. Former long snapper J. P. Darche signed with the Chiefs. He hurt his hip rather badly last season. Last note, a little Cougar love goes out to center Cory Withrow re-signed with the Chargers. It's a three-year deal. I got to know Cory a little bit at college. He was a part of the 1997 Rose Bowl team. He's a great guy. If I remember correctly, he majored in education. Withrow is a little undersized by NFL standards, so it's nice to see the nice underdog guy make it. The undrafted Cougar has played 8 seasons and counting. Sounds a little like Tobeck. Hmmmmmmm ...The Denver Post reports that Daniel Graham has signed with the Broncos. It makes sense because Graham went Colorado University. It's a 5-year deal worth $30 million, $15 million guaranteed. If that guaranteed dough was upfront, I couldn't see the Hawks match that or making a better offer. Obviously, Denver and Seattle were both negotiating with the tight end. Not sure where that leaves the Hawks. The next question is will the Seahawks bring back Jerramy Stevens. Mike Sando of the Tacoma News Tribune reports that Stevens is in Tampa visiting the Bucs. Broncos Guard Cooper Carlisle visited the Hawks today. Falcons RB T. J. Duckett will swing into Seattle on Thursday. ...More news on the Hawks new DE. Jeff Schultz of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution wonders how things will go over in Flowery Branch (the city that's home to Falcons headquarters) when Patrick Kerney and Jim Mora are in the Super Bowl. Also in the AJC, Steve Wyche writes that Pork Chop Womack visited over the weekend and left the Falcons without a contract. In other free agent news, if the Hawks sign TE Daniel Graham, Scout.com believes the Packers will go after TE Jerramy Stevens. But the site says Stevens is going to be costly. ...ESPN is reporting that DE Patrick Kerney has signed a 6-year deal with the Seahawks. John Clayton says it's a 6-year deal worth 39.5 million dollars...19.5 guaranteed. Kerney is a lot like Grant Wistrom. He's a lighter DE that can put pressure on the QB. He sat out most of last season with a torn pectoral muscle. Prior to that injury, he's been very durable. Hopefully, at 30, he'll be strong enough for a whole season. More details to come. ...Maybe Forbes should stick their nose out of sports, unless it's to measure the worth of a franchise. Forbes just came out with a list of the top General Managers in sports. Sonics GM Rick Sund is 35th. M's GM Bill Bavasi is 87th. Now here's where Forbes loses me. Hawks GM Tim Ruskell didn't even make the list. More proof that Forbes is clueless. Minnesota Timberwolves GM Kevin McHale is #1. I bet if Forbes came out with a list of the most bankable stars and positive role models, Britney Spears would top the charts, #2 would be Paris Hilton, with Lindsay Lohan on her heels. ...DE Pat Kerney has left Seattle without a deal. But it sounds like he's narrowed his choices between Denver and Seattle. Same with TE Daniel Graham. Both the Broncos and Hawks like him. Just wondering where that leaves TE Jerramy Stevens. Seattle is also interested in G Cooper Carlisle. I guess after the failed attempt to convince G Kris Dielman to move to Seattle. The tough guy couldn't handle the rain. Oh, just noticed on Mike Sando's Blog (Tacoma News Tribune) that Chris Gray plans to play next season. He's a free agent. ...Minor Seahawks news. The team re-signed FB Josh Parry to a multi-year deal. Plus, the Hawks make it official in announcing Will Heller re-signs to a multi-year deal, too. The Heller announcement is a little anti-climatic...because we reported it last week. ...As most of you've heard, G Kris Dielman decided to re-sign with the Chargers while visiting Seattle. Maybe the rain bummed him out. Unfortunately, the Hawks didn't convince Dielman that the majority of the time spent as a Seahawk player comes during the summer and fall. It rarely rains during that time, unlike the winter. I guess he's been spoiled by San Diego and their 14-2 season. Good Luck with Norv "I've never won anything as a head coach" Turner. If he or the NFL thought Schottenheimer was snake bitten, he's in for a shock with good ol' Norv. By the way, it even sounded like the Hawks were going to pay him more money than what Dielman got from the Chargers. Go figure. Next Up for the Hawks, DE Patrick Kerney is visiting. He's one the league's top defensive ends. Kerney has 3 seasons of double digit sacks. He's been to the Pro-Bowl, but spent much of last season on the IR with a torn pectoral muscle. He is the type of defensive end that the Hawks like. Kerney is a little small, but quick. If the Hawks sign him, it'll be interesting to see what happens with Grant Wistrom. ...Seahawks.net is reporting that the Chargers free agent guard Kris Dielman is at Seahawks Headquarters. Apparently, the plan is to get him to sign before he leaves town. He'll probably cost about what the Hawks wanted to pay Hutch last season before he bolted town. You put Dielman next to Walter Jones and maybe Shaun Alexander will break LaDainian Tomlinson's touchdown record. (of course, LT broke Shaun's record, so it's only fair) UPDATE: Seahawks.net updated their site and has pretty good article on Dielman. If you don't him, this article will get you up-to-date. ...The Times reports that the Seahawks have resigned one of their tight ends. (Drum roll please) Will Heller agreed to a deal earlier this week. No terms were announced. Heller has yet to put his signature on the contract. Plus, ESPN's John Clayton is reporting the Ken Hamlin is visiting New Orleans. Don't be surprised if the Hawks let him go. Seattle wants more leadership from him and fewer personal fouls. Hamlin is probably the best free agent safety available. It would be nice to see him return. ...Free Agency is only hours away (9:01 pacific time) and there's already some interesting developments. Cougar legend Drew Bledsoe was cut by the Cowboys today. There's always been talk that the Hawks wanted a quality backup QB in order to turn Seneca Wallace loose. Now I know Bledsoe has always said he won't go anywhere as a backup, he'd rather retire, but what about coming home for a season or two. The Steelers cut Joey "Big Mouth" Porter. I'm sure Hawks TE Jerramy Stevens is smiling somewhere...probably Robbie Tobeck, too. Stevens and Porter had a war of words during the days leading up to Super Bowl XL. As for Tobeck, I saw a special on SB XL where the now retired center said unkind, but funny things after beating down the Steelers defense for a series. He said something to the effect that you don't hear Porter's big mouth anymore (Tobeck may have used a curse word or 2, but this is somewhat of a family blog). As for the Hawks, I'm sure you've already seen the Restricted Free Agents who were tendered offers (Locklear, Hackett, Babs, Koutovides, Terrill, Weaver). Who should Seattle sign that are Unrestricted Free Agents? No doubt Stevens and S Ken Hamlin will get some looks. Will Chris Gray have enough gas in the tank to play another season? What about Pork Chop Womack? There are rumors that the Hawks covet G Kris Dielman. He's a road-grader kind of guard. Dielman would a perfect next to T Walter Jones. If Gray retires, push Rob Sims to RG and you'd an incredible line again. And what about Hamlin. Can the Hawks afford him? ESPN lists Hamlin as the top Strong Safety of the UFA's...23rd overall. CBS Sportsline lists him as #9 on the top free agents available list. Will he take the money and run? Obviously, football is a business, but the Hawks stood behind Hard Hittin' Ken Hamlin when he took a beat down outside a bar. He's only 26 and has some good years ahead of him, if he stays healthy. Again, football is a business, a violent business where you're not promised tomorrow. Hamlin may have to take the best offer to secure his financial future. Although, if he stays here, he has a shot at a Super Bowl for at least the next 2-3 seasons. I'm sure in the coming days we'll hear alot, both rumors and facts, about the Hawks...stay tuned. ...In somewhat of a domino effect, Portland Trail Blazers prez & GM Steve Patterson resigned today and Hawks CEO Tod Leiweke takes over his day-to-day duties until a replacement is found. If nothing else, during his short tenure with the Blazers, Leiweke's organizational philosophy should rub off on some of the Portland people. Not to say that they're bad, but after years of being known as the "Jail Blazers", any type of positive influence coming in should be welcomed. By the way, Patterson decided to leave after finding out that his contract wouldn't be renewed. On a side note, Leiweke is set to become the CEO of newly formed management company, Vulcan Sports & Entertainment. Vulcan is Paul Allen's company. Leiweke will overlook everything sports related under Paul Allen's ownership. So even after they find a new prez & GM for the Blazers, Leiweke will still be involved with the Blazers. Here's hoping he doesn't spread himself to thin and end up like Bob Whitsitt. ... |