Tomcat Shows His Claws, But Why?

Tom Coughlan confronts Greg Schiano after the game

Mark Schlereth is a former NFL football player, playing offensive guard for both the Washington Redskins (1989-1994) and Denver Broncos (1995-2000). Schlereth won three Super Bowl championships, one with the Redskins (XXVI) and two with the Broncos. (XXXII, XXXIII).  He is currently a football analyst with ESPN television and radio.  The subject content of this column came from comments he made on ESPN’s “NFL 32” on September 19, 2012.

Mark Schlereth went on a ridiculous tirade complaining about so-called “bush-league play” from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as they played the New York Giants last Sunday afternoon.  Schlereth was demonstratively irritated at the Bucs’ first year head coach Greg Schiano for coaching his players to play full-speed on a play that is normally a formality and concession of defeat by the trailing defense. The Giants aligned their offense into what is called a “Victory Formation” where the football is snapped like on any other play, but the quarterback takes a knee and then both teams let the final seconds on the play clock expire without contact… “Game Over” and both teams meet at midfield to shake hands as conquer and the defeated. That’s not exactly how this one turned out, though.  In fact, what is usually a courteous handshake, turned into another controversial meeting between opposing coaches.   

On the same day, Jim Harbaugh and Jim Schwartz let bygones be bygones after their controversial meeting last year where their handshake was more of a “slap and run affair” leaving Detroit head coach Jim Schwartz angry and resentful at Frisco head coach Jim Harbaugh. However, the umbrage seemed to disappear fairly quickly as the two met on the field before the game and shook hands without incident.  Whew!

Now, the controversy turns to New York Giants head coach Tom Coughlin and Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Greg Schiano.

Tom Coughlin was visibly angry and ripped Greg Schiano directly after the game concluded.  Coughlan obviously believes that the final play of the game, when his quarterback took a knee, should have been handled with a certain etiquette and the defense should’ve politely accept defeat.  Well, I think that’s a bunch of crap!  

There is a clock on the scoreboard for a reason, and until that clock reads 00:00:00, the game is not over.  Zeros on the board; Isn’t that what every kid is taught in; basketball, wrestling, and every other sport that is conducted on a time format?  I think this is more of a case of the Giants’ offense being taken off guard and Eli Manning and Tom Coughlin whining…because that’s what they usually do.  Even in victory…

Tom Coughlan addresses the press after the game with Buccaneers

I thought long and hard about this play and this subject; Was it bush-league, was it a cheap shot, was it outside of the rules of football, or was it in bad taste, or maybe, just maybe, it was a football team believing that there’s always a chance when the game’s not over yet? I feel that I have considered every angle of the game and what it meant for the Buccaneers to hit the Giants offensive line and quarterback when they were obviously not expecting it.  My initial feelings?  The New York Giants aligned in the “Victory Formation” with the offensive line in the three-point stance, the quarterback under center and three safety players behind the quarterback… Just in case.  That’s why the offense puts those safety players behind the quarterback, just in case something goes wrong there is someone there to defend or fall on the ball… Just in case.  Let’s examine exactly why the “victory formation” is designed the way it is.  Obviously, the offense realizes that the game is not over, that’s why they put players in a position to ensure that all the gaps are covered.  If they believed the game was already over, they could just go out in a normal 21 personnel and bring the wide receivers in and go through the motions.  That’s what I expect Coughlan believes is that it’s just window dressing for something that isn’t real.  When is it not real?  With five seconds remaining, 45 seconds, how about a minute or just 1 second remaining?

This is only my opinion, but I think Tom Coughlan was acting like a spoiled child and Eli Manning was just acting like Eli Manning. I don’t think what Greg Schiano or the Bucs’ Defense did anything wrong; In fact I believe they would be considered tough and opportunistic competitors if that football wasn’t snapped cleanly and one of the Buccaneers players picked it up and ran into the end zone for a game-tying touchdown with no time left on the clock.  However, there’s an old saying used by Winston Churchill, among others, that goes like this; “It is the victors that write history.” In other words, Tom Coughlan and Eli Manning can whine about this play because the unthinkable didn’t happen. The Giants won the game… But what if…?

Eli Manning in a postgame press conference

Here are a few things to consider;

This wasn’t a blowout game and it wasn’t even a double score margin, it was a single touchdown that separated the two teams. I wonder if Tom Coughlan and the Giants were trailing by a touchdown, even two touchdowns with just five seconds remaining, what they would do on a kickoff?  Would they just kick the ball away and concede, give up or would they attempt an onside kick?  If he was a decent coach, he would do whatever it took to give his team a chance to win or at least tie the game so they could keep fighting.  How about the same scenario, only the Giants had the ball on their own 20 yard line, and trailing by a touchdown; would they field four wide receivers and give Eli Manning a chance to launch the football down the field in the off-chance that something amazing would happen?  Or, would he just have his quarterback drop a knee and concede defeat, give up, giving his team absolutely no chance?  Now, some will argue with me and say that it is a much higher percentage chance that a Hail Mary could result in a touchdown from 80 yards away, then to have a fumbled snap on the final play of the game with just seconds remaining? But I say; exactly how many more percentage points the you subtract until you give up?  You play the game to win and you give and give whatever you can of yourself for a chance until the game is over…OVER! 

How many games have been put into the log books with time still remaining?  The answer is none, zero; the same number that should be on the clock when a team quits and gives up.

Why is it okay for an offense that is trailing by 7 touchdowns or more to throw a Hail Mary with as few as one second remaining on the play clock, but a defense must concede defeat, like a bunch of quitters, with time remaining in the game?

Tom Coughlin complained that it was immoral for the Buccaneers to put the Giants offensive line and quarterback in jeopardy of being injured.  His words were, “…Thank goodness no one was injured on that play …” If anyone was injured, the Giants offensive line and quarterback would have no one else to blame but themselves.  The final play of the game is like every other play.  The clock is running and during that time all of the rules of the game of football are in play, not suspended just so the defense can concede defeat before the game is over.  That, in my opinion, would be something to be ashamed of.  We criticize players for giving up before the game has concluded.  Usually, it’s a virtue to play your butt off until the game is completely over, officially.  However, Coughlan and is Giants football team just plain word prepared for the last play of the game.  The clock decides when the game is over, not Tom Coughlin and not Eli Manning, it is the clock and no other measure can determine the end of the game.

Coughlan was being an arrogant ass and was using his seniority in the NFL over Greg Schiano who was coaching only his second NFL game ever.  You don’t dress down a colleague, bullying him on the football field in front of the cameras and the fans, simply because you have a couple of Superbowls under your belt.  It wasn't that long ago that the New York press and fan base were calling for your head on a platter. If there’s a problem, you handle it like a man, in private and between two coaches.  Coughlan was being himself; a grumpy old man who was behaving like spoiled five-year-old boy.

I do realize that there are a few unwritten rules of conduct that are not necessarily in the NFL rulebook per se, but I don’t think this is one of them.  Football is a different sport and is played in a manner that is very much like warfare. This isn't tennis and it's not golf… It's a battle to the end between strong, fast and vicious hitters. It’s about strategy, effort, energy and a never say quit attitude.  Frankly, I’m surprised that any defense would concede defeat unless they were mathematically eliminated of a victory.  Then, and only then, do you give up or quit.  No one has ever called the game of American football, "A Gentleman's Game." Now that doesn't mean you don't play with honor and it doesn't mean you can't be a gentleman.  What it does mean is that you don't give up on your team, your coach or your fans until it is officially over.  Using Tom Coughlan's logic, a team that is mathematically eliminated from the playoffs, should just put a knee down and quit for the rest of the year because they've lost their goal of making it to the postseason.  That's ridiculous and I think Tom Coughlan needs to rethink the way he reacted and perhaps prepare his football team to play until the game is over, then perhaps they will be ready to be hit.

Lastly, Mike Schlereth is a former offensive lineman and if you have ever watched much football in your life, you’ll notice that the television broadcasters that used to play a certain position on offense or defense will usually side with his former position player than any other on the field.  It’s just a given that a defensive back will always side in the favor of a defensive back in a game if it’s even close to being a pass interference call. Just the same, the former quarterback will side in the favor of a quarterback if his arm was close to moving forward or backward on a called fumbled play.  It’s just natural for people to be biased, 

I think Mike Schlereth is an idiot and I despise his tirade and name-calling, attacking Greg Schiano for coaching his team to never quit until it’s over, particularly when there is a mathematical chance to win.  Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll has a mantra, “Always Compete.”  I wonder how he would interpret this controversial play that is usually the most boring play of the game. I would think he would want his players to compete, compete, compete, compete…

Greg Schiano in his first NFL season as head coach

I applaud Greg Schiano and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense for never giving up when there’s even a mathematical chance that you can win.  And if anyone is wondering… No… I don’t like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, even a little, but I respect their effort to never say die before it's time.

You play the game to win and you give and give whatever you can of yourself for a chance until the game is over…OVER! How many games have been put into the log books with time still remaining?  The answer is none, zero, the same number that should be on the clock when a team quits and gives up.

THIS KID IS SOMETHING SPECIAL

Russell Wilson lines up Seahawks office with maturity and a veteran since the leadership.

Russell Wilson is turning heads all over the country; ESPN, NFL Network, Fox Sports and all over the Internet, analysts and writers are taking notice that Russell Wilson isn’t your average third round quarterback chosen to develop behind a veteran for a couple of years and then perhaps playing backup for a while. This kid has had a dream, a goal and a plan of becoming a very special professional football player and for many years to come. The skeptics on draft day for changing their tune, but Wilson was never listening anyway.

Drafted by the Colorado Rockies, Wilson played professional baseball for a while until his real love of football flowed back through his veins, taking him right back where he felt he belonged. A very openly Christian athlete, Wilson believes the Lord leads him and believed that football is where he belongs. He was ecstatic that God led him to the Seattle Seahawks. Before the draft, Wilson had a pretty good idea that Seattle would be his next landing place. He left Virginia, his home and played college under a full scholarship with the South Carolina Gamecocks for four years. Then, his fate brought him to Wisconsin where he played QB-1 as a senior with the Badgers and was voted team captain within 2 weeks of arriving at camp. This kid is impressive in practically every way. He is athletically gifted, no doubt, but it’s his character and a level of honor that he holds himself to that impresses important people in high places. Pete Carroll and John Schneider recognized what an unusually mature and motivated kid Wilson is and that he has that certain something that separates him from practically every other college quarterback either of them has ever encountered an "IT" factor. Not blessed with great height, Wilson lasted until the 3rd round where Seattle selected him the 75th player. They knew right away that they had pulled off one of the biggest steals of the draft. Carroll and Schneider completely believe that if Wilson was just 2 or 3 inches taller, he likely would have been selected in the top 3 picks. It’s impossible to know now, but with Wilson’s QB rating that led the nation, and his 33 touchdowns with only 5 interceptions, it’s likely he would have been selected before Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III. He is very efficient, very smart and he played on a team, Wisconsin, that had the tallest offensive lineman in the nation. Averaging 6’6” tall and 333 pounds, he only had 2 passes batted down at the line of scrimmage.

Russell Wilson just shrugs when asked how he feels his lack of height will affect his chances as a starting quarterback in the NFL. He believes there’s a lot more to throwing the football than being tall. “Even if I was 6’5” tall, I still wouldn’t try to throw the ball over defensive lineman with their arms stretched high. That’s not how you play quarterback in the pocket.” This is what he said about his so-called handicap. He went on to mention that good quarterbacks don’t throw over defensive lineman; they throw in lanes and alleys, or in other words between defenders and offensive lineman’s backs and helmets.

For every reason you give Wilson that his height will be a factor, he will give you 5 reasons why it simply doesn’t matter. One of Wilson’s advantages is that he has long arms and huge hands, measuring 10 ¼ inches. That’s bigger than the hands of Peyton Manning, Eli Manning, Aaron Rodgers and even 6’8” Brock Osweiler of the Denver Broncos. Another advantage is his superior mobility and ability to find his way out of trouble if the pocket deteriorates and collapses. What makes Wilson different from other very mobile QB’s is that he doesn’t want to run, he wants to pass the football, but when flushed out of the pocket, he knows when to pull the ball down, tuck it under his arm and take off to the races. He is a multiple threat athlete and he causes problems for opposing defenses because of his intelligence and his ability to see the field and read the defense so quickly. He goes through his progressions, checking down, one, two, three, and sometimes a four option receivers.

Former Seahawks linebacker, Dave Wyman, said Russell Wilson is the oldest 23-year-old he’s ever met. That’s how mature he is, but he still has the enthusiasm and the excitement of a rookie, and he’s got never-ending energy. Rich Eisen of ESPN asked several of Wilson’s Seahawk teammates for some dirt on Wilson, something he could use to tease him on his podcast radio show. Eisen said that his teammates had nothing for him. Most said, we don’t really know much about him personally. He spends all of his time in the film room reviewing game film and studying defenses sets. This is the kind of dedication this kid has for the game. He seemingly always says the right thing and doesn’t fall for all the tricks and traps of reporters. Santonio Holmes, Mike Wallace, Demaryius Thomas and Maurice Jones Drew could take notes from Wilson, for his maturity and selflessness. Like some of the most accomplished players in professional sports, they seem to get paid, but you never hear about contract disputes and bitter, ugly holdouts. It’s just a different way of doing business and it causes both parties to do the right thing. When was the last time you heard of; Peyton Manning, Tom Brady or Larry Fitzgerald in an ugly contract dispute or hold out? Yet, all three players are of the highest paid in the NFL. Wilson doesn’t say anything that will embarrass himself, his teammates or the Seahawks franchise. An essential part of being a leader is properly distributing the credit and blame. Wilson continually deflects positive feedback from writers and reporters and credits the offensive line, receivers or defense. At the same time, he never stops critiquing his own game for ways to improve. When there are obvious failures to execute by other players, Wilson handles it the way it should be handled… In-house and away from microphones and cameras. Last Wednesday, during the opening game of the 2012 season, the New York Giants lost to the Dallas Cowboys, and partly due to some of his teammate’s inability to catch the ball. ESPN analysts praised Eli Manning because of the way he talked about the young player David Wilson fumbling the football. He pointed to his youth and that he still learning the game and gibberish like that. What he should have done was to look at his own game and if there was any butt kicking to be done, it should have been done quietly during the game on the sidelines or after the game away from microphones and cameras. Not to the media and not calling out certain players who made errors. I was a little surprised that former player, now analyst, Mike Schlereth was complimenting him for handling the situation properly. As a quarterback, those issues are not dealt with through the media. I think it was pompous and self-righteous, but I find Manning to be arrogant and sanctimonious, so I probably shouldn’t have been surprised.

I've never seen a rookie in interviews that seems so comfortable with who he is as a person, yet he’s never satisfied with his own performance as a football player. For him, it’s all about improving, getting better, getting smarter and getting valuable experience. He expects to be great and he prepares to be his best. In a recent press conference in Seattle, the media was there to ask questions about Wilson and the upcoming game with the Arizona Cardinals. One of the writers asked Wilson the question, “Are you nervous, or are you anxious about playing in your first regular-season NFL game as a starting quarterback for the Seahawks?” Wilson’s answer was as poignant as the question, perhaps more; His response was, “No, not really… I believe that if you prepare yourself, study and ready yourself properly to the best of your ability, there’s no reason to be anxious or nervous. I’m eager and excited, but no, I’m not anxious or nervous at all.” Now, there are going to be people who doubt that he is as cool, calm and collected as he says he is, but if you really follow this young man’s life, it’s not like this is the first time he’s ever been on a big stage before. He led his Wisconsin Badgers to the 2011 Rose Bowl in his senior season. The Badgers lost to the Oregon ducks 45-38, but it certainly wasn’t because of Russell Wilson not doing everything he could to bring his team a Rose Bowl trophy and perhaps national championship. Wilson threw for 296 yards and two touchdown passes. He finished the game 19-25 passing, 16 yards rushing and one rushing touchdown to go with his two TDs passing.

Regardless of pressure or high expectations, Wilson is a player that places higher expectations on himself than anyone else. This way, he never worries about living up to the expectations of others. The weight on his shoulders in his first professional football game that counts isn’t overwhelming to him. His mental maturity and dedication to preparation is veteran like in every way. He thrives on visualization techniques and he always sees himself being great. He visualizes the stadium, the sound of the crowd, the look of his opponent and after watching hundreds of hours of film, he sees himself facing every possible defensive set that the team has ever used before. He admits that you can’t visualize something that you’re not expecting, but his goal is to reduce as much surprise as possible and then react on the field. His reaction ability after he takes the snap is a new challenge every time he touches the ball. He relishes every challenge put before him and he purposely takes on difficult challenges, because it nourishes his desire to grow and learn.

Russell Wilson has earned the respect of the veterans on the roster like no rookie I’ve ever seen or heard of before. He feels he’s not only in a position to learn on the field or in the film room; he’s also in a position to teach and encourage other players even as a rookie himself. Wilson is an ideal leader to work with a group of proud men. He encourages players to come with him in the film room and work through different scenarios that help everyone on the offense feel like they’re part of something bigger than themselves and part of something that every player on the team needs to contribute to in order to be successful. Who ever heard of a rookie leader coming to a new team and setting the pace for hard work and dedication to details? But, his teammates, veterans and rookies all feel a sense of wisdom coming from this 23-year-old rookie. Most established veterans take offense to a rookie coming into camp and schooling them on anything, let alone, but to get advice from one of the youngest players on the team? Well, that’s just as unusual as a 5’10” NFL quarterback doing anything but holding a clipboard and perhaps handing out cups of Gatorade to the other players on the sidelines.

I think this is going to be a fascinating season. Nobody really knows whether or not Russell Wilson will succeed at this level, but I don’t know anyone that’s putting a lot of money down to bet against him. It has been said that, “The best predictor of future behavior is past behavior.” Well, if that quote has any wisdom to it, you can expect a lot more hard work, dedication and success from Russell Wilson. The way he seems to believe in himself and the Seahawks, and the manner in which he leads this team, you would think he’s walking on ten foot stilts. One thing is for certain, none of his teammates look down to 5’10” Russell Wilson… Not even 6’7” 318 pound starting right tackle, Breno Giacomini. No. 3 happens to be QB-1 and after a dynamic and inspiring preseason, he’s earned it.

Russell Wilson at Collegiate Prep School

SEAHAWKS START NEW:

Seahawks Destination: 2012 NFC West Champions

A New Beginning

     The 2012 NFL preseason is over and the Seattle Seahawks go into the regular season with a 4-0 win streak. For the Seahawks, that’s significant, for any team that lost in preseason; Well, they’re just preseason games and have zero meaning. That’s the way most teams look back on the first four scrimmages.

What is meaningful for the Seahawks and their fans should be a new beginning and a bright future. Pete Carroll and John Schneider are quietly putting together a very formidable football team to take into the regular season. The defense is an opportunistic and dominant bunch that have the swag of a Super Bowl team. They simply have a belief and a collective goal of dominating every team they play. Led by veterans Leroy Hill and Chris Clemons and Marcus Trufant, they are a young, fast, athletic and extremely confident. This defense has been chomping at the bit since last year and is looking forward to an even better performance this year. With Earl Thomas, Kam Chancellor, Richard Sherman and Brandon Browner, they are physical and they will punish anyone brave enough to enter their territory. The defensive line is equally aggressive and they also bring a lot of confidence to the trenches. Big Red Bryant and Brandon Mebane anchor a large and fast pass rush that features Chris Clemons, Jason Jones, Alan Branch and newcomer, rookie Bruce Irvin. The big boys lead a bull rush up the middle while tandem Leo ends with a lightning get off attack around the edges. Leo ends Clemens and Irvin will be virtually impossible and create mismatches with any offensive tackles you put in front of them. Seattle was already very good versus the rush last year, but adding Jason Jones and Bruce Irvin really gave Seattle the needed speed to put pressure on the quarterback. Playing at CenturyLink  Field will give Seattle’s defensive line and unparalleled advantage as the Seahawks play at home. The crowd noise will cause the offense to go to a silent snap and everyone knows the Seattle crowd creates chaos between the opposing quarterback and offensive line.

The increased pressure on the quarterback will make Seattle’s defensive secondary lethal. Already, this foursome creates havoc that the point of attack and receivers will never be able to get into a rhythm in running pass routes. This is Seattle’s main objective in using their unusual size and physicality that the safety and corner positions pose against the passing game. With the quarterback running for his life, finding open receivers is going to be particularly hard and that puts the Legion of Boom in a prime position to take away the football from the offense. Pete Carroll has stressed to his defensive team this year; He wants to take the football away from the offense at every opportunity. Carroll wasn’t happy with the Seahawks take away ratio last year and made a concerted effort to try to turn that around. Linebacker is also a position that is very much improved this year. David Hawthorne was a good tackler for Seattle last year, but the coaches weren’t happy with his inability to cover on passing downs. The Seahawks now insert rookie Bobby Wagner into the Mike position. He’s a 6’1” 250 pound linebacker with 4.43 speed. He has a solid tackler with the ability to drop into pass coverage and cover running backs and tight ends crossing the field. Seahawk coaches are super pleased with Wagner and his progression through training camp. He is everything advertised and a lot more. Last year’s rookie sensation KJ Wright is back and with one season under his belt and the complement of an entire training camp, he is that much more comfortable and that much more dangerous. He had a magnificent 2011 and actually made all the defense of calls as a rookie and was super aggressive with the radar like instinct for the ball. Last year, all the rookies had a difficult beginning of the season because of the player lockout and abbreviated preseason. Though, it didn’t seem to slow down KJ Wright in the least bit. Normally playing on the outside, he adapted immediately to playing the Mike for Seattle. This year, with the emergence of Wagner, KJ Wright can return to his normal Sam position outside.  He has been a wealth of knowledge and information to help Bobby Wagner mature as quickly as he has. Leroy Hill, the rock-solid veteran linebacker will play the Will and will also provide Seattle a lot of veteran leadership. He is and has always been a sure tackler and can also can get up on the line and push the edge rush. All in all, this Seattle Seahawks defense has become elite and a lot of teams around the NFL are taking notice that Seattle is not a team you want to sleep on.

Perhaps the most compelling part of this entire preseason has been Russell Wilson. Wilson is the kind of quarterback that gives you goosebumps as he leads the offense. He is wise beyond his 23 years and he is a player with intangibles off the charts. He is athletic; he is mobile and has a cannon for throwing arm. Wilson can easily make all the NFL throws necessary to be successful in this league, and he has a confidence and sense of calm that is contagious among all the offensive players around him. Being the rookie has its challenges, but as you watch this kid run the offense, he does it with quickness but he doesn’t hurry, and he does it with energy but he’s not overly excited. This kid is simply unlike any other quarterback I’ve ever seen. In college, he was as proficient as you could ever ask a college quarterback to be. After achieving his degree at North Carolina State, Wilson transferred to the University of Wisconsin, where the players are bigger, faster and stronger. Wilson has such an infectious sense of confidence and leadership; his teammates voted him their team captain two weeks after arriving on campus. Then, he just managed to leave the country in completion percentage at 72.3%, and quarterback rating of 195.3. He threw 33 touchdown passes with only four interceptions and two tipped passes. At 5’10” and some change, Wilson proved that height isn’t what makes an effective quarterback. At Wisconsin, he played behind the tallest offensive line in the nation. He had an average of 6’6” tall and 333 pounds per lineman standing in front of them as he managed to rewrite the Wisconsin passing records and was one of the players considered for the Heisman trophy in his senior year. But, that’s all college and it’s in the past. What’s exciting is Russell Wilson’s future and he is embracing the opportunity with open arms and high expectations. He wants to be great and so does his entire offensive squad. Russell Wilson has a blank slate right now and it’s now up to him what is going to be engraved on it. His odometer is at zero and his record is the same. I’m excited to see what he does and if the preseason is any indication of what kind of leader he will be, I can’t wait to see him perform. He’s short, but he doesn’t care… He doesn’t measure his chances for success with the ruler. He was a third round selection in the draft… He doesn’t count the players chosen before him, he just plans to outperform them and he doesn’t care that he was chosen by probably the most obscure team in the National Football League, but he’s happy to be part of something created without a trail of successful Super Bowl teams preceding him. I think Wilson relishes challenges and I don’t think he’s the type that desires a head start. He just marches up to the line of scrimmage like all the other 31 starting quarterbacks in the NFL. Then, he takes everything he has learned from his Pop Warner football coach, his collegiate preparatory school coach in Richmond Virginia, his college coaches at North Carolina State and Wisconsin and the coaching staff with his current team is the Seattle Seahawks, and tries to play the game of football to the best of his ability and lead his team.

Russell Wilson has an open road in front of him as to the Seattle Seahawks as a team. Their record is 0-0 and the rest is up to their coaches and their players. There’s a lot of excitement in Seattle right now, with the players as well as the fans. Analysts all over the country are beginning to feel the momentum building at the Virginia Mason athletic Center by a very young team with a common goal, a sense of confidence like I’ve never seen a Seahawk team and a swagger, or “Swag” that feels like a wave building. I watched a lot of preseason football this summer, practically every single game. I’ve never seen a stadium full of fans so excited for a preseason football game. At first, I thought it was a bit ridiculous for people to go crazy, screaming and cheering for a game that had very little if any meaning. Then, you watch the team respond and it’s clear to see. Seattle Seahawks fans don’t need a closed stadium to create the kind of noise that confuses and confounds and opposing offense. In fact, they don’t even need a stadium at all, if you heard the cheering and noise created at the Seahawks practice facility on Lake Washington. Kansas City has great fans also, and if I’m not mistaken, they have the most consecutive sellouts at arrowhead Stadium than any other stadium in the league, but when Seattle visited their stadium about three weeks ago, it was dead quiet. Half the seats in the stadium were empty…either that or fans came to the game disguised as empty chairs. CenturyLink field is just a special place and the Seahawks are very fortunate to have fans as wild and crazy as the people who fill that stadium. Kansas City may have a longer sellout streak for their stadium, but during the Ken Bering years the fans had to make a statement to run him out of town. That’s the only reason Seahawk fans stopped going to home games. The team deserved better and so did the city. What’s great is that Paul Allen stepped up and lifted that franchise from the ashes and breathed life back into it to become the great Seattle Seahawks team that it is today and hopefully will be forever.

New, Neo, Nuevo, Novi, Nový, Nieuw, Nova, Bago, Nouveau, Hовое, Mpya, Yeni:

These are all the ways of saying the word “New” and that’s what the Seattle Seahawks represent for me:

It’s a new season. The Seahawks are sporting new uniforms and Russell Wilson is starting a new era that will hopefully create a very special experience for all the players, coaches and the Seahawk fans. Seattle has gone long enough without a Lombardi trophy. I’m not calling Super Bowl or anything like that, I’m more superstitious than that and I also believe it’s the kiss of death. However, it’s not crazy to say that this team seems primed for a great run this year. Now, it’s just time to execute and achieve what that team is ready for… A return to the playoffs and a return to: NFC West Division Champions. Then, we’ll see…Right now… They start New at zero!

- written by Brad Hobbs