They say success starts at the top, and the Seahawks are fortunate to have one of the best and most dedicated owners in the National Football League.

Although Paul Allen’s dedication hasn’t translated into a Super Bowl win just yet, folks in Seattle have enjoyed successful years that were not so prevalent under previous ownership. Last year aside, Seattle has been one of the more successful teams since 2004. Fans have come to anticipate annual playoff appearances, and the possibility of competing for a Super Bowl has become a reality.

Any Seahawks fan will agree: that type of success wasn’t a possibility under previous owner Ken Behring. It seemed as if the Seahawks were more likely to move to California than make an appearance in the playoffs.

Even if Paul Allen has yet to bring a Super Bowl trophy back to Seattle, no one can say he isn’t trying. According to Jason La Canfora of NFL.com, the Seattle Seahawks have spent more money than any other NFL team from 2004-08, besides the Dallas Cowboys. And although team expenditures are somewhat restricted by the salary cap, these numbers include gross totals spent on player salaries and bonuses.

During that period (2004-08), the Seahawks spent $552.42 million, which equates to about $12.27 million per win (45 wins, 15th in league from 2004-08). It is obvious the additional spending hasn’t translated into the type of return on investment that was probably envisioned, but you can’t say ownership isn’t trying.

And remember, Paul Allen’s willingness to spend has not only brought success through high-priced athletes; Allen helped fund the construction of Qwest Field, lured former head coach Mike Holmgren from Green Bay, and developed the Virginia Mason Athletic Center – a beautiful practice facility and team complex on the shores of Lake Washington.

Seattle fans should appreciate great ownership. We’ve had to endure Ken Behring, and, more recently, the Howard Schultz/Clay Bennett duet that left us without a basketball franchise. We haven’t exactly been spoiled with the most dedicated owners over the years.

Enter Paul Allen, whose spending and commitment has brought us our only Super Bowl appearance and continues to keep the Seahawks competitive. The franchise has 45 wins between 2004 and 2008 (ranked ninth in the league), so Allen’s dedication hasn’t been squandered, even if his cost per win isn’t spectacular.

The only team to spend more than the Seahawks was the Dallas Cowboys ($566.89 million); Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has never shied away from spending money. Fortunately for Seattle (and unlike Dallas), Allen hires people to manage the front office, and understands that personnel decisions should be made by football people who can proficiently evaluate talent. Owners who take control of personnel without advice are like politicians who determine war strategies.

Hopefully, Mr. Allen’s perseverance will someday result in a championship for the city of Seattle. Commitment and competence from the top is the first ingredient for success, but everything is ultimately dependent on player performance. Thank you Paul Allen – your dedication is not going unnoticed.

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Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com thinks that Owen Schmitt should receive discipline equivalent to Donte Stallworth, whose drunk driving killed a man last March. Because Schmitt was in a position to “learn from Stallworth’s mistake,” Florio thinks that Schmitt should be suspended for the entire year.

Aaron Weinberg of Next Season Sports investigates how “Runaway Beer Truck” became Owen Schmitt’s nickname at West Virginia. It is ironic that the “Runaway Beer Truck” was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence.

The blogger at Dave Krieg’s Strike Beard supports Owen Schmitt receiving severe punishment. I agree that Schmitt demonstrated very poor judgment and his actions were nothing short of stupid, but a first offense shouldn’t draw a punishment equivalent to a manslaughter charge, in my opinion.

Rob Staton of Rob Staton’s Seahawks Draft Blog has a cool video posted that features Aaron Curry talking sports cards at the rookie shoot for Topps TV. He also has a video available of Deon Butler, another Seahawks rookie.

Chris Sullivan of Seahawks Addicts put together a nice list of the top ten Seahawks players of the decade. At the top of the list: Walter Jones. I couldn’t agree more; Jones is arguably the greatest Seahawks player of all time.

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As most of you are aware by now, Owen Schmitt was recently arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence in Black Diamond, Washington. His blood-alcohol content was measured at .151 and .161, twice the legal limit in Washington State.

What a knucklehead.

At twice the legal limit, Schmitt should’ve known better than to get behind the wheel. An obvious demonstration of poor judgment; it is fortunate that no one was hurt or even killed. Schmitt will obviously be subject to discipline from the NFL, but a suspension is not likely since it is a first offense.

This is the second time this offseason that a Seattle player has been arrested. Last January, linebacker Leroy Hill was arrested on drug charges after police found him asleep in his car at an intersection. Although Hill was not charged with driving under the influence, one can only imagine the reason he was asleep behind the wheel. He was charged with a misdemeanor after police allegedly found marijuana in his car.

In a similar scenario to Schmitt’s, linebacker Lofa Tatupu was arrested last offseason on driving under the influence charges, with blood-alcohol content measured to be between .155 and .158.

Both Hill and Tatupu have remained on the Seahawks roster without further incident. In fact, Leroy Hill was “rewarded” a large contract by Seattle despite the offseason arrest. Both were first time offenders, and neither player received a suspension from the NFL.

So what happens to Schmitt?

Owen Schmitt, a former fifth-round draft choice from West Virginia, is supposed to compete for the starting fullback spot this coming season. He has shown a lot of potential and a strong work ethic while on the field, and his hard-nosed style of play is perfect for a bruising NFL fullback.

That being said, the Seattle Seahawks are an organization that is committed to character, and holds players to the highest standard on and off the field. Fortunately for Schmitt (and fans who enjoy him in a Seahawks uniform), this is his first offense and the first real blemish on his résumé. So because of that, I think that Owen Schmitt should be given a chance at redemption – assuming he is sincerely remorseful for his poor conduct.

I suppose that is a part of the problem, however. As fans, we don’t really know if Schmitt is remorseful. Sure, he issued a statement claiming regret; the same carbon copy that we see from every athlete who ends up in the same scenario:

“I sincerely apologize to the team, the NFL, the fans and my family and friends for my actions and poor judgment. I fully understand the seriousness of this matter, and I am disappointed in myself. I am committed to earning back the trust of everyone affected.”

Honest? To be determined. Owen Schmitt will definitely have to prove himself to everyone. But for now, I’ll trust in the organization to make the right choice.

This is all in the wake of Donté Stallworth’s enormous mistake, where his actions resulted in the death of Mario Reyes. Schmitt, fortunately, did not kill anyone. We can’t persecute him based on “what ifs” because that wouldn’t be just. I think everyone involved understands the severity of the situation and how dangerous drunk driving can be.

It is extremely fortunate that Owen Schmitt isn’t going on trial for manslaughter. But it wouldn’t be reasonable to equate Schmitt’s error to Stallworth’s – although the result could have been similar, it wasn’t. Let Schmitt count his blessings and learn from his mistakes, and we’ll hope he isn’t stupid enough to do anything like that again.

You know, stupid … like driving while drunk.

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I recently found myself defending the selection of Aaron Curry in the NFL Draft by the Seattle Seahawks. Up until now, I had thought Curry was the obvious choice at that spot, and a no-brainer for Seattle if he was available.

Most of my opinions are extremely biased in favor of Seattle, but I considered Curry to be the top player available in the 2009 NFL Draft even when I didn’t think he could possibly fall past the top three. This draft wasn’t overwhelming in terms of top-level talent, but Curry is a top five pick in any draft. He was deemed the “safest” pick in the draft by most experts – the least likely to bust, and unquestionably the best player available at any position.

Fortunately for Seattle fans, Curry is a great person off the field and boasts a resume that impresses even the most stringent evaluators of character – Tim Ruskell definitely has higher standards than most general managers around the league.

There is no doubt that Curry possesses the physical ability and talent to justify his draft value. For Tim Ruskell, however, spending a draft pick on a player is an investment, and must return much more than just production every Sunday. The player not only needs to justify the selection because of their talent, but they also need to possess an exceptional work ethic and shining character.

I’m still not quite sure how the Seahawks could’ve gone another direction with the fourth overall pick with Aaron Curry available; Mark Sanchez was not a feasible option. We’re talking about a quarterback who would probably find it difficult to crack the top 15 in any other draft, and was only a one-year starter who was unable to unseat incumbent starter John David Booty at USC. Sanchez has a history with injuries after battling a number of them throughout his collegiate career, and had a couple of incidents that could put his character into question as well. I hate to paint such a bad picture for a quarterback who has yet to take a snap in the NFL, but Sanchez was not a gamble the Seahawks could afford to take at the top of the first round.

The Seahawks needed to add a playmaker that would be able to contribute immediately and develop into the superior athlete you’d expect to get from a selection in the top five of any draft. Selecting a Mark Sanchez, who probably wouldn’t be worthy of a top five choice in any other draft, to sit behind Matt Hasselbeck for a couple of years is not the right move. Mark Sanchez can make all of the NFL throws and will probably end up being a pretty good player in the league, but was too much of a gamble for Seattle and is not the typical Tim Ruskell player.

Seattle fans don’t expect to be picking in the top five again anytime soon. It may be an unreasonable bias, but I don’t think many folks in the Seattle area plan on another 4-12 season from the Seahawks. With that being said, the organization could not afford to waste an opportunity to draft the right player in the top five; the player they selected had to offer value equal to the fourth overall pick, and a gamble on a lesser player would’ve been reckless and ill-advised.

Charlie Casserly, former general manager of the Washington Redskins and Houston Texans, called Aaron Curry the best linebacker prospect in ten years. Curry dominated the other linebackers at the NFL Combine, running the fastest 40-yard dash (4.56), recording the highest vertical jump (37.0), the longest broad jump (10’4”), and the best 60-yard shuttle (11.35). His prowess at the combine is validated by his performance on the field; at Wake Forest he contributed every year as a starter, including ten starts as a freshman. He is the 2008 Butkus Award winner, given each year to the nation’s top linebacker.

There isn’t any doubt in my mind that Aaron Curry was the best player available in this year’s draft. No one would’ve been surprised if Detroit had made him the first overall pick, and I was thrilled when Kansas City passed on him before our selection.

Five years from now, our outlook on the 2009 NFL Draft could be entirely different. The player who will enjoy the most success from this class may not have even been drafted in the first round. But today, I believe it is safe to say that the Seattle Seahawks drafted the best player available with the fourth overall selection, and passing on Aaron Curry in favor of another player would’ve been foolish.

Time will tell.

It is officially the worst time of year for sports. I’m not too crazy about mid-summer baseball, and the NBA Finals have ended (not quite significant to me anyways since the Sonics departed Seattle). It is going to be a long summer filled with anticipation for upcoming camps and practices – anything that signifies football season being just around the corner.

Pretty routine for the offseason, however, is optimism throughout the league. Fans (and players) of every team seem to be rejuvenated for the upcoming season, and everyone thinks they’ve got a decent shot at being successful. Hell, the Seahawks finished 4-12 last season yet a lot of folks in the Pacific Northwest seem to be confident that a return to the playoffs is probable.

Confidence and optimism are good things; what makes it interesting for fans is when the same hopefulness turns into predictions and guarantees from players. The media will always find the one guy in the locker room that is willing to provide bulletin board material for the opposing team, even on the largest stage: Freddie Mitchell, Jerramy Stevens, and others.

Predictions don’t always need to be blown out of proportion by the media, or on a large stage like the Super Bowl, however. Recently, Chad Ochocinco was being his usual self at one of Cincinnati’s mandatory minicamps. According to Ochocinco, “It’s going to be a great year; we’re going to the playoffs. We’re going … We’re making progress. I mean, I see it, and I can come out on a limb and say what we’re going to do.”

Those are pretty hefty expectations for a franchise that has only finished above .500 once since 1990. But as a fan, you’ve got to love the optimism. If you’re a Bengals fan, would you rather have him come out and declare the next season a failure before it even starts? I don’t think so. Nothing is guaranteed, but you definitely want your team to show some confidence – although, there is a very fine line between confident and cocky.

So I’m bringing all of this up for a reason, I promise. Recently, a few Twitter updates from a couple of Seattle Seahawks players caught my attention. The first, from Nate Burleson, posed an extremely optimistic scenario that is apparently plausible from additional offseason workouts. The update was obviously positive, and probably just something from Nate to get fans excited:

Finished my first week of workouts in Az. Twice a day, 5 days a week for 4 weeks… You do the math! For the slow folk..it equals 15 TD’s

I would hate to play the pessimistic role for something that Nate was obviously just having fun with, so I won’t. If Burleson is able to somehow total anywhere close to 15 touchdowns next season, the Seahawks are no doubt bound for the playoffs. We’re talking about a guy who tied a career-best 9 touchdown receptions in 2007, and is returning from a serious ACL injury that kept him off the field for most of last season. Not to take anything away from his prediction, but only five players in the National Football League had 15 or more touchdowns last season; each one of them was a running back. The leading wide receiver, Larry Fitzgerald, only had 12. If Burleson even approaches his lofty goals for next season, then maybe more Seahawks players should complete four-week offseason training programs in Arizona.

Shortly after Nate Burleson’s update, Darryl Tapp decided to join in on the fun. Tapp confidently proposed this scenario as a response to Burleson:

well I am gonna train in va. 4 weeks 2 and a half times a day. And for you slow that means 12 sacks

I immediately took the opportunity to respond to Tapp’s update, challenging him to shoot for a slightly larger, more unreasonable goal: 20 sacks. Tapp kept himself modest, however, and replied that 10-12 sacks seems like a decent goal for someone whose best season so far included only 7.

Agreed.

And while enjoying the Twitter updates from NFL players, I’ll optimistically dream about the success we’ll have next season. Nate Burleson will be a monster, pulling in double-digit touchdowns. Darryl Tapp will provide the much-needed pressure off the edge, tallying close to a dozen sacks. The Seahawks will be well-represented in the 2010 Pro Bowl, and will make a serious run in the playoffs.

Uh-oh. I think all of this confidence and hopefulness has gone to my head. I guess I’ll go watch some film from last season; that will bring me back to reality for sure. At least I think so.

I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t have a whole lot of experience with video production or anything of the sort, but I do think that VLogging is a great way to express your opinions and talk about sports.

My inexperience led me to contact Eric Schoen, one of the more active Seahawks VLoggers that I’m aware of. He is consistently producing excellent videos featuring his commentary and opinions about the Seahawks and everything football. Eric was more than happy to create a VLog about the Seahawks offseason and draft that I could feature on 12th Man Rising.

I must say that I don’t entirely agree with all of Eric’s opinions, but it is always nice to hear a different perspective. His rather firm point of view should create some good conversation about the direction the Seahawks are headed after this offseason. Be sure to give Eric some feedback on his video, and check out his other entries at YouTube.com.

Seahawks VLog, featuring Eric Schoen:

Mike Sando of ESPN.com examines Aaron Curry’s role as a pass-rusher with the Seahawks. Sando notes that Curry told radio host Mitch Levy that he plays “linebacker and defensive end” in a recent interview.

Chris Sullivan of Seahawks Addicts looks into the possibility of a 3-4 defense in Seattle. After hearing that Aaron Curry may take some snaps at defensive end, Sullivan couldn’t help but think about how Seattle’s defense could transform in the future.

John Morgan of Field Gulls looks back at Will Herring’s 2008 season. Offering an extremely favorable report on the young linebacker, Morgan notes that Herring could see some additional playing time at weak side linebacker if Curry occasionally plays at defensive end.

Dave Krieg’s Strike Beard is not a fan of San Francisco 49ers head coach Mike Singletary. Singletary was a great player and can talk tough, but that does not guarantee success as a head coach in the NFL.

Jeff Richards of Next Season Sports continues a countdown of the top ten moments of the decade. The latest entry: Hasselbeck leads fourth-quarter comeback against Chargers in 2002.

Danny O’Neil of the Seattle Times briefly analyzes the secondary’s recent struggles and how it may impact next season. Without a complete overhaul, can the Seahawks expect to see better play from a secondary that allowed more passing yards than anyone last season?

I haven’t had a lot of opportunities to blog lately, but I look forward to keeping everything a little more active and updated now that my schedule is a little more relaxed.

Anyways, I was able to attend the second annual Bobby Engram Foundation celebrity softball game last weekend at Cheney Stadium. The weather was wonderful and it was definitely worth the short trip down to Tacoma – I look forward to attending the event again in future years.

I have been co-hosting the Seattle Seahawks Weekly Blitz, a show that airs every Saturday on blogtalkradio.com/12thman; Bobby Engram joined us a few weeks ago to promote the event, and had a ton of prizes and tickets to give away. Although Engram is no longer with the Seattle Seahawks, he had an excellent run here and continues to operate his foundation out of the Pacific Northwest. The celebrity softball game was a very fun event that supported an excellent cause.

The game featured a number of current and former Seahawks, as well as local celebrities and other professional athletes. Lofa Tatupu, Nate Burleson, Marcus Trufant, Seneca Wallace, Darryl Tapp, and Deon Butler were all present at the event. Former Seahawks included Bobby Engram (of course), Leonard Weaver, and Gibran Hamden. In addition to those who’ve played with Seattle, other professionals such as Dwayne Bowe, C.J. Jones, Jim Sorgi, and Devard Darling joined in on the fun.

The event began with an autograph session outside of the stadium, and then a home run derby featuring all of the celebrity participants kicked off the action on the field. The actual game started later in the afternoon, and featured the Seahawks versus the Guests. Unfortunately for Seahawks supporters, the Guest team came away with a win after a late comeback. Everyone involved seemed to have a good time, however, and it was a charitable event supporting a good cause. For fans, it was a great chance to see professional athletes up close, exchange a quick conversation, and get a couple autographs.

The entire event was memorable, but most noteworthy was Bobby Engram’s homerun in the first inning of the contest. The video of that, as well as more photographs of the event can be found below.

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The Seahawks have announced that training camp practices will be open to the public from August 3 to August 20. The practices will be held at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center in Renton.

To attend the practices, fans must register at Seahawks.com. Registration will begin on July 16, and the actual times of the open practices will be announced sometime next month.

I plan to attend as many open practices as my schedule will allow – I hope to see the 12th Man in full attendance supporting the Seahawks!

Dave Krieg’s Strike Beard hopes that the St. Louis Rams bring in the troubled quarterback. Citing an article from the National Football Post, it appears as if the Rams are taking a serious look at Vick.

12th Man of Seahawk Nation Blog thinks that the Washington Redskins would be interested in Michael Vick, but the scenario just isn’t feasible.

Jeff Richards of Next Season Sports is counting down the top ten moments of the decade. Today, he examines number eight: kicker Jay Feely missing three field goals, allowing the Seahawks to defeat the New York Giants in overtime. Great game (for those of us in Seattle) made memorable by Feely choking, and Jeremy Shockey dancing in celebration – cut short once he witnessed another miss, of course.

Chris Sullivan of Seahawks Addicts noticed another national writer who is overlooking Seattle and not showing any love to the franchise tucked away in the Pacific Northwest. Peter Schrager of Fox Sports released a list of the top 99 players in the NFL; with the exception of T.J. Houshmandzadeh (number 68), not one Seahawks player made the cut. Unbelievable.

Mike Sando of ESPN.com does not expect any team in the NFC West to sign Michael Vick. He cites sources from each team in the division as to why Vick is not a possibility.

Danny O’Neil of the Seattle Times is offering observations from Seahawks practices in Renton. This morning, he documented a number of plays made by the tight ends, including John Carlson, who made a great one-handed catch while being defended by Leroy Hill. O’Neil also noted that during a special-teams drill, punts were being returned by T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Ben Obomanu, and Seneca Wallace.