What it does share with football, and any other team one might support in any city, is what it means to the common fan. People like the ones that write at sites like this for no reason other than their love of their team and the sport in general. A team provides a shared history and culture among all residents. A bond that makes no real sense when analyzed too deeply, but is felt by all of us anyway.

Five years ago, Seattle got robbed. Through a perfect storm of economic downturn, poor political representation and being sold down the river by scumbags like Howard Schultz, Seattle lost its oldest franchise. The only franchise in the city that possessed a national championship. Today, Seattle learned that despite doing nearly everything right, it would not get a team to replace the one that was stolen.

Unfortunately, the process required taking a team from another city that probably didn’t deserve to lose theirs. Nobody liked it, but that is the playbook the NBA has established. It turned out, however, that the rules had changed since Seattle lost the Sonics. Now priority was placed on teams with 28 years of incumbency, never mind that the Sonics had 41 in Seattle. No matter how much money was placed under the NBA’s nose, they simply didn’t care.

If only Seattle got the same advantages that Sacramento did when Schultz got his panties in a bunch and threw a hissy fit that he should be humiliated by until the day he dies. When Schultz decided he was unhappy he sold the team without any notice to Clay Bennett and a cartel of carpet-baggers from Oklahoma City with the help of one, douchebag David Stern. To this day, I refuse to go to Starbucks or watch an NBA game.

I honestly feel sucker punched and my stomach is in knots after Stern’s half-assed press conference this afternoon. I am utterly and thoroughly depressed and am discovering that no amount of booze is making me feel better.  I want nothing more than to introduce David Stern to a dark basement and a baseball bat.

I’m also hoping that having another team and sport I love, the Seahawks, that I might find catharsis in some way. At least maybe writing about this might give me some relief. (It hasn’t so far.) It also makes me realize how much sports matter and the civic value they provide a city and a group of people. Seattle currently has the Sounders, Seahawks, and the perpetually crappy Mariners. Seattleites are fans of some, all, or none of these teams. Nonetheless, these teams provide a way for people to support a common cause for certain parts of the year.

Seeing games live has continued to become more and more a rich person’s event. From ticket prices to concessions, it is harder for the “regular Joe” to take his kid, wife, or whoever to games the way my dad took me to Sonics games when I was young. That’s why it was amazing that Chris Hansen and Steve Balmer were willing to privately finance (through bonds) the building of a new basketball arena. Unfortunately, the NBA prefers to strong-arm and rob cities through tax financing of new arenas. Otherwise the teams will be stolen away, a la the Sonics.

Seattle is lucky to have a great owner of the Seahawks in Paul Allen. Portland is lucky to have him as owner of the Trailblazers. He values the civic nature of owning a sports franchise. To borrow a phrase from the human being that is worth less than maggots crawling in the dog crap in my front yard, a “public trust.” I feel reassured knowing that Allen is such an owner. It also makes me feel worse about what happened with the Sonics and the ever diminishing hope of their return.

Through today’s misery, I realize the importance of teams in a city. It doesn’t matter if you have one or four or even more. They all represent something unique and special. Losing one does create a hole that can’t just be filled in with one of the other franchises. And being kicked around a league or other fans makes it even worse.

A sports team can make some of the lousier periods of one’s life a little bit better. You can get together with some friends and watch a game. If the team is successful you can share that success at least vicariously and take some pride in the fact that that team is representing you and your city. It is a way to socialize and network with other fans. Sure the players are ultimately doing it for the money and glory, but as the Seahawks players realize, the 12^th Man is part of it. Their success wouldn’t be as enjoyable without the fans behind them.

I realize this is a rambling post full of non sequiturs, most of which aren’t even football related but I appreciate your indulgence. I was hoping writing this would bring me some peace of mind, but it hasn’t. I still hate David Stern with all my soul. Same with Howard Schultz and Clay Bennett. I wish them misery and failure. There is a hole in my fan experience with the Sonics gone. Luckily the Seahawks’ success makes it a little better, but even they can’t fill it completely.

Today was a sad day for Seattle sports. Through the continued void of the Sonics, I have realized my passion for the Seahawks. The football season can’t start soon enough. And in the meantime, I sure wouldn’t mind if David Stern’s charter jet flew into the side of a mountain, wiping his existence from the planet.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I think there might be some solace to be found at the bottom of this next bottle.

January 19, 2013; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; West running back Christine Michael of Texas A&M

The Seahawks have finally made their first pick in the 2013 draft. It just took until the final pick of the second round to get here. With that pick, Seattle took Christine (pronounced Chris-TIN) Michael, a running back from Texas A&M. Chances are you’re wondering who the hell that is. Allow me to enlighten you.

According to NFL.com, Michael’s strengths include a “low center of gravity” but with a “thickness throughout his frame to take and give out punishment.” He has more speed than one would think when he is able to break open as well. Overall, Michael is a bruiser that will be a nice compliment to Marshawn Lynch and Robert Turbin. Both Lynch and Turbin are hard to bring down, and Lynch will occasionally level a tackler, but Michael has the ability to straight damage some defenders. Michael is also a good blocker that is able to lead the ball into the second level.

According to CBS Sports, Michael started 2012 rated by some as the “top senior running back in the country.” Attitude issues, however, took him out of the starting role, and the spotlight, which is probably a big reason he was relatively unknown and is yet another “what the what” pick by Pete Carroll and John Schneider.

Michael has had injury issues and missed the ends of both his sophomore and junior year. He broke his right leg in 2010 and the following season he tore his ACL. However, in 13 games he ran for 1,530 yards and 12 touchdowns. If he can check his attitude issues at the door and stay healthy, Michael should have an opportunity to contribute greatly in Seattle.

If Seattle starts utilizing a running back by committee approach it could be a very different dynamic on offense and make them harder to prepare for and defend. Diversity is a killer.

Another thing that I just thought of is whether or not Seattle might consider lining up Michael at full back and getting all three backs (Lynch, Turbin, and Michael) on the field at the same time. This could also give Seattle more flexibility when it comes to dealing with Michael Robinson’s contract.

This pick could also have fantasy implications as it might limit carries by Lynch.

No matter what, I think we should all get #inpcjswetrust trending because I expect a lot more unexpected picks out of Seattle for the rest of the draft.

The rankings have been updated as of yesterday so they account for all of the free agency acquisitions and releases that have taken place up to now. You will also see more daylight between teams’ highest and lowest rankings since there aren’t actually any games to help guide us.

The teams that have the biggest differences between their highest and lowest rank are:

• Rams (16) – David 9th, Micah 25th
• Vikings (13) – David 8th, Hanley 21st
• Steelers (12) – Nick 9th, Micah 21st
• Chiefs (12) – David 20th, Nick 32nd
• Falcons (11) – Diane 2nd, David 13th
• Colts (11) – Diane 8th, David 19th
• Giants (10) – Micah 8th, David 18th
• Buccaneers (10) – Hanley 12th, David 22nd
• Cardinals (10) – Hanley 19th, David 29th

As can be expected of a division that includes both San Francisco and Seattle, the NFC West had the highest average ranking in the NFL with 11.5. The NFC North is next with an average ranking of 12.75. The worst division in the NFL is, not surprisingly, the AFC West with an average ranking of 21. The highest ranked team in the AFC West is Denver (3rd overall), with the other three teams 24th or lower.

Obviously, these rankings are very preliminary and will change once the draft happens. Draft day is overall a bad predictor of how good a team will be the next season. There aren’t many teams that are a top five pick away from a Super Bowl or even division dominance. Draft picks are more of an investment in a player’s future potential that, if successful, will explode in a player’s second or third season. Teams like Seattle and San Francisco cut some dead weight, and reloaded for the following season without the need to change much. Other teams like Jacksonville, Kansas City, Oakland, and the New York Jets have further to go.

Until the next rankings are published in August, enjoy these for what their worth – conversation fodder. And if draft day is your gig, enjoy that as well. The first pick that matters to me is the 24th pick of the second round.

Sep 24, 2012; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch (24) carries the ball during the 2nd half against the Green Bay Packers at CenturyLink Field. Seattle defeated Green Bay 14-12. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports

I realize I am a little late on this but I when I heard that the NFL had scheduled Seattle to play in Green Bay for the third preseason game I was not thrilled. I realize there are a few ways to look at this, but being what I consider a “realist” (you may call me more of a pessimist - I am a Seattle fan after all) this game (potentially) has trouble written all over it.

Traditionally the third preseason game is the “dress rehearsal” for teams. It’s when all the starters start and teams, at minimum, run through their rudimentary offensive schemes. This also means that there is higher risk for an injury to a critical player. Of course, this is the exact same situation that these athletes will play in all season long, but this is preseason and there is literally nothing but “live” experience to be gained in these games.

I’m assuming all of us remember the grace and dignity with which some Green Bay players and fans handled the controversial call at the end of the game last season. If Green Bay had won, and all things stayed the same, they would have had a first round bye instead of San Francisco.* With that in mind, I’m not sure that Green Bay won’t come out extra chippy and play with what I’ll call an unnecessary edge. In other words, I don’t want Seattle players to be at risk of any cheap shots by some grudge-holding chuckle-nuts who somehow think Seattle is to blame for a call that still can’t be concretely reversed.

I may end up being wrong and the game takes place as every other preseason game has for years, but that isn’t what the NFL is hoping for. The NFL scheduled this game in prime time because it’s hoping for a knock-down drag-out grudge match before there is anything meaningful on the line. If this was the first, second, or fourth game, or even not in a prime-time national telecast I probably wouldn’t think twice. Unfortunately, the NFL is just looking for action no matter how cheap it may be.

Hopefully, both teams play hard and use the game to prepare for the regular season rather than settle any perceived grievances. Nothing would be worse than seeing a critical starter, for either team, get taken out because of some cheap block or late hit and start the regular season injured. Green Bay doesn’t have a reputation for playing dirty and neither does Seattle, so a standard preseason game is completely within in the realm of possibility. I just figured I’d air out my paranoia and give everyone a chance to talk me off the ledge.

*It was previously stated that the loss to Seattle didn’t affect playoff seeding. It did. San Francisco tied St. Louis and was therefore only ahead by .5 games at the end of the season. Green Bay therefore had to play in the wild card round and consequently travel to San Francisco for the divisional round instead of hosting.

Chris Kluwe and Brendon Ayanbadejo are two of the most vocal in their support of gay rights and stances against discrimination and bigotry by people involved with the NFL. Earlier this week, Chris Clemons posted some tweets to the ether fielding various responses. I normally don’t respond to NFL players since most of what they tweet is publicity or superficial nothingness to other players, but this caught my attention and I decided to respond. To Clemons’ credit, he did reply to me a couple times and was open and honest in his responses. He seemingly wanted to clarify what he was trying to say. Others in the Twitterverse decided that I was using my “tolerance” to bully an NFL lineman. (This mental image alone is priceless.) So it’s out in the open, here is what our series of tweets looked like:

Christopher Clemons ‏@chrisclemons91
Who on Gods earth is this person saying he’s coming out of the closet in the NFL?

Hanley B. ‏@hbonynge
I’m really not liking @chrisclemons91′s tweets on a gay NFL player coming out right now. Locker rooms need to get over their homophobia.

Christopher Clemons ‏@chrisclemons91
@hbonynge No one said anything about be a homophobic. I just think something’s should be left at home.

Hanley B. ‏@hbonynge
@chrisclemons91 I get that. Focus on business. But how does being gay mean your personal life isn’t at home the same as a straight guy?

Super Sonic Fan ‏@SuperSonicFan1
@hbonynge @chrisclemons91 such am absolutely ridiculous thing to say. #12thMan stands behind you Chris, no need to bullied by the “tolerant”

Hanley B. ‏@hbonynge
@SuperSonicFan1 @chrisclemons91 I hardly think I’m bullying Clem. If you feel bullied, Chris, my apologies. I just prefer an inclusive team.

Christopher Clemons@chrisclemons91
@hbonynge @supersonicfan1 I never said he would be abandoned. I don’t judge people for what they do. I only react off how they treat me.

Hanley B. ‏@hbonynge
@chrisclemons91 Fair enough. That’s all anybody can ask for.

In all fairness to Clemons, he seems to have seen some error and softened his stance, backtracked, or tried to clarify what he was saying. That’s fine. I understand that and was simply commenting on his tweets. I am glad to know that Clemons would not abandon a gay teammate and would only judge him on how that person treated him. As humans, being judged by our character is all any of us can ever ask of anyone else.

I do think the NFL can take a more proactive stance on this issue though. The NFL often promotes, to an exceptional level, its partnership and support of our armed services, which now accept and do not question gay service members. The NFL could follow suit in laying down a foundation of tolerance that would enable out gay athletes to feel more accepted. As many of Clemons’ other tweets demonstrate, he seems to be somewhat confused, yet open, about this issue.

His series of tweets talk about how a person’s sexuality should be left at home:

Christopher Clemons@chrisclemons91
@***** No I’m just saying its not everyone else’s business if your gay! That’s all I’m saying.

Christopher Clemons@chrisclemons91
@***** exactly! Leave your love life at home.

This is like saying a person’s ethnicity should be left at home. A person can leave their “gayness” at home about as well as Clemons can leave his “blackness” at home. A person’s identity is part of them. It doesn’t mean they will play any better or any worse. It also shouldn’t mean that his teammates treat him any differently in the locker room or on the field and Clemons’ earlier tweet seems to affirm that he wouldn’t “abandon” him if it was his teammate.

Clemons seems to be uninformed regarding the social and historical issue, though. Tweets such as:

Christopher Clemons@chrisclemons91
@***** If you didn’t do it when you were in high school or college then why wait til your in the NFL? Whoever he is he didn’t just start

Christopher Clemons@chrisclemons91
@***** I’m not one to judge anyone because that is there personal preference.

There are a couple problems here. I’ll address the second tweet first. Describing homosexuality as a “preference” is a misconception. Gay people choose to be gay in the same way that I choose to be straight, they don’t. There is no choice. We are born the way we are and our sexual orientation is no more a choice than our ethnicity. Clemons could be using the word “preference” loosely and meaning “orientation,” but it is an important distinction to make.

As for the first tweet as to why a gay athlete might not have come out earlier in his life this shows a general ignorance on the issue as a whole. First, in the big three professional sports there has never been an out gay athlete so the risks, financially, socially, and health-wise, are considerable. Many team owners are conservative and not generally sympathetic to the cause of equal rights for gay people. (We need to only look back to former Sonics part-owner Aubrey McClendon’s political contributions while the team was still in Seattle.) These owners may approach their teams purely as business and not care about a player’s sexual orientation one way or the other, as long as the player performed. Owners could also refuse to sign an out player therefore diminishing his opportunities in the NFL. An out player could also be targeted on the field for being gay by opponents. Taking unusually hard or an increased amount of cheap-shots is bad for one’s health and career. I am not saying that these things will happen but simply that they could happen, and that risk alone is enough for a player to not have come out previously. Clemons’ own worry over a gay player dividing a locker room should at least clarify this issue for him.

Christopher Clemons@chrisclemons91
@***** it doesn’t matter how good they are. That will immediately separate a lockerroom and divide a team.

Christopher Clemons@chrisclemons91
@***** I’m not against anyone but I think it’s a selfish act. They just trying to make themselves bigger than the team.

A gay person would only separate a locker room if a player’s intolerance of that player’s sexuality led them to make an issue out of it. A person’s height, weight, hair color, skin color, IQ, religion or anything else shouldn’t lead a divided locker room and neither should a person’s sexuality. Things like domestic or sexual abuse, which is common in the NFL, should be a much more divisive issue within team than sexual orientation.

A person being open about whom they are with people they go into battle with every week does not make them “bigger than their team.” If anything, it makes them more one with their team. Personally, I would be a much fiercer and more loyal teammate if I could be myself and know I was wholly accepted than if I had to pretend and hide who I was from my comrades. Players tweet daily about their religion, pray on the field, and regularly thank God in interviews because that is who the player is. I’d argue that that puts a player above the team more than a person’s sexuality.

Russell Wilson, who is a devout Christian, is a model athlete. He finishes every interview with “Go Hawks” and I’ve never heard him say anything but praise for his team in interviews. He tweets about his faith, but when it is about his team, the team comes first. That is commendable and I believe that he would have no issue with a gay teammate.

I think that the NFL could take a proactive role in educating its players on this issue and do everything it can to mitigate the risks a player would face in coming out. It should embrace and cultivate tolerance within the individual teams and across the league as a whole. This doesn’t mean that players aren’t allowed to have their own personal beliefs on the issue, it just means that players will be expected understand that their beliefs are just that, personal.

I would be proud and honored if my team had the first openly gay player in the NFL. It would be a great sign of the quality of character in regards to the city, the franchise, the individual collection of players, and, perhaps most importantly, the 12^th Man.

An ideal conclusion would be when Chris Clemons’ tweet asking

Christopher Clemons ‏@chrisclemons91
@***** @***** […] Why is this news worthy! It’s gays everywhere and just cause its a football player it big news

is a reality; a gay player wouldn’t be newsworthy.

Until that happens, though, it is newsworthy, and ignorance of that fact and the reasons for it are best left unsaid. Football is the biggest professional sport in the United States. A lot of things that happen in the NFL are big news and the NFL wants it that way. The NFL should support having the first openly gay player. It would be yet another thing that sets it apart from professional basketball and baseball.

A league full of men who have no problem wearing pink (a color that in my childhood was often derided as being “gay”) for an entire month every season should have no problem also supporting equal rights for all its players. Everyone is entitled to their beliefs and frequent and honest discussion of them is always a good thing. Beliefs become an issue when they cost others their rights.

This article is not intended to pick on or isolate Chris Clemons in any way. I do not know him personally, and I do not believe that he is homophobic or bigoted. From his various tweets today, I believe that he is open and would accept a gay teammate. I use Clemons’ tweets/statements as a stand-in for what I believe are common misconceptions and beliefs across the NFL.

There are obviously players that are much more tolerant and have no problem with homosexuality in general or with a teammate. There are also players that could, or would, divide a locker room over an out teammate. I believe it is these players that should be the issue. Not the gay ones. The locker room and field are an athlete’s workplace. A person’s sexual orientation should be as much of an issue there as in any other business. Knowing that there are gay people at my gym doesn’t stop me from using the showers or locker room. It doesn’t stop me from riding a bus, going to work, or attending a game. And when I go to a game, I want my team to be the best. Being the best means being the most cohesive which requires a tolerant and open environment. Cohesion can’t exist when players have to hide in integral part of themselves. The team whose colors I wear will be an even better team when the players feel safe being who they are openly.

Editor’s comment: The opinions expressed here are that of the author, and are not the official viewpoint of 12th Man Rising or Fansided. We understand the fact that there many differing beliefs, and we respect the diversity of opinions on this topic. 

Please be sure to keep all comments civil. Those that aren’t will be deleted. 

November 05, 2011; Houston, TX, USA; Rice Owls wide receiver Vance McDonald (88) makes a reception in the first quarter against the Texas El Paso Miners at Rice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

I just finished my first mock draft and it was an interesting experience. I’m not somebody who follows draft boards and college players very closely. There are so many of them and the chances of a certain player ending up on your team are very small. Therefore, unless one is genuinely interested in all aspects of the draft, I see it as a waste of time.

That being said, this mock draft was set up as a “war room” with a committee of people for each team which I actually liked. As somebody who didn’t know individual players per se, I found other ways to contribute. I feel like I have a very good idea of what Seattle currently needs, and what type of player would fit into the Pete Carroll system.  So I tried to keep everybody on the game plan of drafting by position needed, instead of just the best player that looked good at the moment.

My one negative was that this draft took way too long. It started on Thursday and went all the way to Monday. Each team had up to three hours to make their picks so the window for our draft pick could vary widely. I’d lock that down if I were the organizer.

At the outset we decided our needs were (in general order) defensive tackle or end, weak-side linebacker, tight end, offensive guard or tackle, cornerback, safety, and wide receiver. We also realized we had more picks than roster spots so we felt we had some flexibility and could afford to bundle picks together to move up into the middle rounds, which we did twice.

In the end, after all trades, our picks were 1.28, 2.26, 3.25, 3.29, 4.28, 5.05, 5.30 and 7.25.

We tried to move out of the first round all together since we picked so late and figured our first target of Kawann Short (DT) from Purdue would be there for us in the early second. We arranged a trade twice with Detroit but they reneged both times. In the end we took Short with the 1.28 pick (traded 1.25 to Denver) which was a reach, but he was our target and filled a need. We stuck to the plan and got an instant upgrade to the defensive line.

The targets for our next two picks were weak-side lineback and tight end but we once again didn’t pick until late in the second. At 2.26 we took Khaseem Greene who fit what we figured was Seattle’s ideal WLB. I wasn’t as high on Alec Ogletree as many others were, but he went earlier anyway. Greene was a solid pick and the person we were targeting anyway.

Next up we wanted a TE. Ideally, it was going to be Travis Kelce from Cincinnati. He is a do-it-all tight end that we figured could free up Zach Miller to be more of an offensive threat. Unfortunately, Kelce was snatched before he got to us so we adapted.

With the 25^th pick of the third round we took Tyrann Mathieu (CB) from LSU. He brings controversy and some off-field issues but we liked his ball-hawking nature and recognized a need at slot-corner. We figured Carroll could get Mathieu on the straight and narrow and took a chance. We also saw him as a kick returner for the probable departure of Leon Washington. (This was pre-Percy Harvin. A trade that was never in the realm of possibility to us at this point.)

Four picks later, at 3.29 (we traded three picks to New England to move back into the third), we finally got our TE. Vance McDonald from Rice was our player at this draft position. He fit the physical multi-threat mold we were looking for. Tyler Eifert and Zach Ertz were too one dimensional for our tastes and if they came to us we probably would have gone elsewhere. McDonald provides a lot of mismatch opportunities against the defense and would be a great compliment to Miller.

At this point in the draft, my knowledge of players got pretty thin to non-existent. This is where I would look into suggested players by Keith, Joe and Nick and primarily try to keep us on track for filling needs. I also was a big advocate in pushing us away from drafting a wide receiver as I personally don’t want more 5’11’’ to 6’1’’ guys. If we got a receiver, which we eventually did, I wanted to pick a receiver that could be tall, physical, and get down field.

At 4.28 we drafted Lavar Edwards (DE) from LSU. Edwards was seen as an option to take over for the now departed Jason Jones and as a player that could help provide an inside pass rush.

Just a few picks later with the fifth pick of the fifth round, we picked Chris Faulk (OT), also from LSU. I had urged us, and we had tried, to improve the offensive line earlier but our targeted players kept getting picked right before us, and the remaining value wasn’t worth it to pick on OT/OG that early. That being said, we see Faulk as a potential Breno Giacomini replacement and terrific run blocker. Keith has him rated as late-third early-fourth quality so it was a steal for us in the fifth. Hopefully he would get fewer penalties.

Between 5.05 and our next pick at 5.30 (acquired from Atlanta for 5^th, 7^th, and 2013 7^th round picks) we learned that Seattle had acquired Percy Harvin and I internally celebrated in the fact that we had yet to draft a wide receiver, especially a smaller sized one, considering we just traded for one of the best in the league. Instead we drafted Corey Fuller (WR) from Virginia Tech. Fuller is 6’2’’, so still smaller, but is fast and can stretch defenses down field, similar to a Ricardo Lockette go-route that Seattle would run a few times a game. Fuller is raw and will need time, but we also saw the potential for him to help right away on special teams.

With our final pick, at 7.25, we took Ray Ray Armstrong (S) from Miami (Fl.). We had been looking for a safety to potentially back up Earl Thomas or replace Kam Chancellor in a few years, and we got him with our last pick. Armstrong hits like Chancellor, which we love, and can cover TEs and WRs across the middle.  It will take him a few years, but luckily we have that to spare, if Armstrong even made the roster.

Overall, I think we came away with solid picks. We weren’t flashy and didn’t talk ourselves up, like some of the other managers (looking at you, San Francisco) but we came in with a plan. We stuck with it, filled our perceived gaps, and took good players that we thought would fit into Seattle’s “always compete” but high-character quality system.

Behind every pick there is a 50+ email long chain and many discussions. As a team though, there was limited argument and a generally shared goal. I relied largely on other members’ knowledge of individual players and I like to think I kept us from drifting too far down unproductive rabbit holes for players and positions we didn’t need. I probably wouldn’t ever do a mock draft solo, but I’d definitely do one as a team again (hopefully taking up less time).

I like to think Pete Carroll and John Schneider would approve of our logic, goals, and outcome. I’m proud of it and I think that the Seahawks post-draft would be better than pre-draft.

Here is a list of the trades that took place during the draft.

Pick
1.28 From Broncos for pick 1.25 (mock)
3.29 From Patriots for picks 5.25, 4.26, 7.14 (mock)
4.28 From Broncos for pick 1.25 (mock)
5.05 From Raiders for LB Aaron Curry (official)
5.30 From Falcons for picks 6.26, 7.08, 2013 7^th Round (mock)
7.08 From Bills for QB Tarvaris Jackson (official)
7.14 From Saints for LB Barrett Ruud (official)

First up is chili. I love spicy food. When I say love, I mean really f*ck!ng love spicy food. If you just said in your head that you also like spicy food, multiply that a few times and you have me. Because of this fact, I usually make two batches of chili: a super human batch (for me) and a normal human batch (for most everyone else).

The foundation of the chili is from Carroll Shelby’s Chili Kit. You can get at just about any grocery store although it’s always hidden somewhere. It is a little tan and red box that has all the basic spices you’ll need.

Ingredients
Sweet onion
1 pound ground beef
1 pound steak (top sirloin or chuck depending on your preference)
8 ounce can of tomato sauce
1 can pinto beans
1 can kidney beans
Peppers (I like habaneros, serranos, and jalapenos, but you can pick whatever you want)
Other Options: cayenne pepper, hot sauce like Frank’s Red Hot, can of diced tomatoes.

1. Dice up onions and peppers.
2. Cut steak into .5 – 1 inch cubes and brown over medium-high heat in a pot or pan adding a slight amount of oil if needed. Once browned, drain and set aside.
3. Brown ground beef and then drain. Add steak back in.
4. Add onions and peppers now or you can add when browning meat.
5. Add tomato sauce, 16 ounces of water, spice packet from chili kit, cayenne pepper (from kit isn’t enough, I’d recommend adding some of your own as well), and a little salt (I usually use no salt).
   1. If you add can of diced tomatoes, cut water in half to 8 ounces.
6. Stir together, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes.
7. Rinse kidney and pinto beans and add to chili. Simmer 5 minutes.
8. Mix masa flour from chili kit with 1/3 cup of water and stir into chili. Simmer 5 more minutes.
9. You’re done. If you don’t like your chili thick, omit masa flour or use it and add water at the end to get the consistency you want.

*The times are approximate and you can add anything else you think might be good. I added cubed potatoes last time and that turned out nicely although you have to precook them a bit or cook the chili longer.

Buffalo wings are also a good party food. Here is a sauce that I like and appeals to most people.

Ingredients for bourbon buffalo wing sauce
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large shallot, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
¼ cup bourbon
½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
½ cup honey
1 tablespoon ancho chili powder
1 cup chili sauce
1 cup BBQ sauce (I use Sweet Baby Ray’s if I don’t have any homemade stuff on hand)
½ cup prepared buffalo wing sauce (such as Frank’s)

1. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallot and garlic and cook 2 to 3 minutes. Stir to prevent burning. It should be softened and smell great.
2. Mix in ancho chili powder, chili sauce, BBQ sauce, and wing sauce. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Keep warm while you bake or fry the wings. Or keep over low to have available. The sauce gets really thick when it’s cool.

*Once again, I might add a bit more hot sauce but that’s a preference issue. This is a sweet, spicy wing sauce.

I have lots of other recipes so if anybody has any special requests, put them in the comments section and I’d be happy to oblige. I would also suggest having a cooler/tub filled with beer and ice in the living room so people don’t have to constantly go to the kitchen every time they need a refill.

*Update: I added bacon to my chili last time and that turned out well. 12 ounces of beer is also good. Or if you roast your own peppers (very easy to do), that’s also good. I suggest poblanos. Basically things that are smoky and rich can really enhance the layers of flavor in a good chili.

Dec 23, 2012; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman (25) during the game against the San Francisco 49ers at CenturyLink Field. Seattle defeated San Francisco 42-13. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports

I just got back from a weekend of skiing and finally feel like I can look back at the Seahawks’ 2012 season without feeling too large a pang of disappointment. Sometimes it takes stepping away to gain some perspective. The only football I watched was the third quarter of the NFC Championship game and had to walk away because I saw two teams Seattle could certainly beat.

If someone had asked me nine months ago how I’d feel if Seattle were to go 11-5 with a playoff win on the road I would have taken it in a heartbeat. However, winning makes a person greedy and leaves them craving more. Once it was apparent that Pete Carroll and John Schneider stacked all of that talent and potential onto their roster, and that a playoff game was possible, even with a team that had some significant weakness, I set my sight on an even further horizon. When Seattle wasn’t able to advance, the loss left the city, and myself, in somewhat of a state of shock. The emotional whiplash that took place in the fourth quarter of the game in divisional game gave me hope and then took it away.

All cities are unified when their sports teams do well. It’s one of the great things that sports teams bring to communities. I believe that Seattle is a little different from cities like Atlanta, New York, San Francisco, and Miami. Every team has their true fans, but Seattle itself seems to suffer when the Seahawks don’t do well (everyone is used to the Mariners sucking). It’s easy to lose sight of that when the team has a few rough years but is obvious when look at the incredibly civic pride and enthusiasm that takes place when the team succeeds. In that regard Seattle is like a Cleveland, Kansas City, or Green Bay. Labeling Seattle fans fair weather is ridiculous and ignorant. Fair weather fans don’t cause seismic activity last time I checked.

The Seahawks over 2012 reminded Seattle why they stuck with a team that had been disparaged and struggled for the last six years. The team from South Alaska that was always too small, too hurt, too slow, too whatever became big, strong, loud, and a force unto themselves. Win or lose, a team was going to remember that they played Seattle last Sunday. Watching that and experiencing it with a great community of 12^th Men made it that much hard to realize it was over. Even my dad who can be very jaded and reserved when it comes to sports (game 7 of the 1993 Western Conference finals between the Sonics and Suns is still very much remembered) couldn’t help but get excited at what just might be.

I bring up these seemingly random aspects of the 2012 season because they stand out the most when I look back on this season. Seattle became a team that would walk up to anybody and punch them in the mouth. Led by a calm, cool, and incredibly talented quarterback, a team comprised of many castoffs and unknowns turned into a wrecking ball with the 12^th Man as the crane that swung it. The connection between the team and fans in Seattle can’t be overstated. From completely open training camps to showing up at Children’s Hospital every week the connection is real. That is what I love. I realize that I’m not an actual player on the team, but to feel part of it is either the greatest marketing gimmick ever or proof of a true community-franchise connection. I choose to believe it’s the latter in this case. (Every article I write, I have to go and take out any “we’s” and replace them with “Seahawks.”)

Fortunately, Seattle doesn’t have many free agents going into the off-season which means that many of the personalities and people that the make up this great team will be back. And they will be hungry; hungry to prove to themselves and the 12^th Man that they are good enough to win a Super Bowl. For that, I am just as excited as I was this season.

Jan 13, 2013; Atlanta, GA, USA; Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll reacts after losing the NFC divisional playoff game at the Georgia Dome. The Falcons won 30-28. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Just like that, it’s over. The Seahawks’ run for the Super Bowl snuffed out by a 49 yard field goal. It wasn’t bad enough that Seattle fans had to suffer through the incoherent diarrheic ramblings of the infinitely idiotic Brian Billick. They also had to suffer a soul sucking first half, amazing come back, and a late Tony Gonzalez catch over the middle to set up an Atlanta field goal. I’ll tell you right now, if you’re a glass-is-always-half-full type of person, you should probably just stop reading. Because, I’m not that type of person. Things like “bright futures” don’t make me feel better. They are hypothetical at best and no comfort in defeat right now.

I don’t know if I feel better having watched the Seahawks come back in an incredible second half after completely shitting the bed in the first half. Is a defeat like this which is ultimately due to the compounding of mistakes throughout the prior 59 and a half minutes better than losing in a blow out? I don’t know but right now I’m inclined to say I’d rather be blown out. It’s an arguable point but that’s how I feel.

Coming into this game, I believed if Seattle had to lose to anybody I prefer it be Atlanta. I was wrong. I’d prefer to lose to nobody and losing to anybody feels equally shitty. I can’t root for Altanta or Tony Gonzalez even though I like him as a human being. I don’t buy into the “if you have to lose, it might as well be to the eventual champion” school of thought.

I hate losing. I hate it with every ounce of my being. That doesn’t make me a “bad” loser or bad sport. Losing feels unnatural even though it’s happened countless times before. I refuse to accept it. Seattle could have won that game. They didn’t deserve to but they still could have. Going for it on fourth instead of taking a field goal looks terrible now. In the moment, it looked like Seattle needed a touchdown to stay in the game. It was wrong in hindsight but at the time I couldn’t argue with the decision. The defense could have decided to sack up and make a stop at any point in the first half. They didn’t.

Other people can focus on all the good things, both real and theoretical. Right now all I can do is focus on what was the ultimate outcome, defeat, and grieve. I hope Seattle is better next year. I hope that good things are on the horizon, but for whatever reason, that “bright future” is like an oasis in a desert that is only a mirage. It doesn’t exist until it’s real and then I can celebrate. Unfortunately, that isn’t today. Russell Wilson can look forward to next year. Other fans can look forward to next year. For me I have to go back to a normal every day life, where I don’t make millions of dollars, and devotedly defend my city and teams against the rest of the country. There is no joy in Mudville for me.

Jan 6, 2013; Landover, MD, USA; A Washington Redskins fan sits in the stands after the Redskins

That was an excellent win. I can’t lie and said I felt good about it the whole time, though. During the first quarter, make that first three quarters, my tension levels were through the roof. Seattle goes down 14-0. Then blows some red zone opportunities and goes into half-time 14-13. Yes, they caught up. But place kicker Steven Hauschka was hurt and Seattle seemed inconsistent on offense. For some reason the zone-read was used intermittently for whatever reason and Russell Wilson missed a few wide open receivers downfield. Fortunately, Seattle’s defense must have smelled some coffee and decided to wake up and Washington wasn’t able to score for the rest of the game.

Michael Robinson and Zach Miller decided to have amazing games and show why they are both integral parts of the Seahawks team. In my opinion the game ball would have to go to one of those two guys. Russell Wilson did well but there were a few plays where he held onto the ball to long and scrambled for a sack instead of just throwing the ball away. I had to force images of Tarvaris Jackson out my head in those instances.

Marshawn Lynch also had a good game rushing for over 100 yards and a touchdown. Unfortunately, he also fumbled to ball on the one yard line but at least partially made up for it with his one-handed fumble recovery and 18 yard rush after Wilson lost the ball. He must have just seen a giant Skittle bouncing around and wasn’t going to let it get away. It was so smooth it was kind of ridiculous to watch. Lynch didn’t even break stride.

I also loved watching Big Red Bryant chase after Robert Griffin. Griffin managed to scramble for a gain of a yard, but the effort put out by a man the size of Bryant to chase after Griffin was impressive. Not a fair fight but you have to love the determination.

This was Seattle’s first playoff game on the road since before I was born. That is very surprising at first because I am starting to think of myself as old and second because I am used to Seattle teams that are always at least somewhat dangerous. Then I remember that there was a long stretch in there (1988-1999) where Seattle didn’t make the playoffs at all and being a Seahawks fan was more depressing than mania inducing. That weakness on the road appears to be a thing of the past now, though.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t spend some time pissing on the legacy of one, Daniel Snyder. (Don’t worry Dan, it’s just rain.) Dan Snyder provided the worst possible playing surface he could and when Robert Griffin decided to audition for a stunt-double role in “Thiesmann: A Football Life”, it didn’t turn out so well. Griffin ended the game throwing for just 99 yards and should have been taken out at half-time. At least Griffin can look forward to a bright future of selling yet another wiener-pill.

Chris Clemons tore his ACL. Kory Lichtensteiger re-aggravated his ankle sprain. Steven Hauschka sprained his calf. Saying that the field was anything less than complete crap would be an overstatement. I guess Snyder likes his field to match his personality. The NFL and Roger Goodell have once again demonstrated that “player safety” is on par with the NCAA’s “student athlete.” (Seriously, who doesn’t laugh during March Madness when the announcers forcibly use “student athlete” to the point that it’s insulting to your own intelligence?)

Apparently “player safety” is a way for owners and the “shield” (another garbage term turned into NFL propaganda) to regulate player-on-player infractions. Owners like Daniel Snyder, on the other hand, can’t be forced to stop counting their billions and provide the same kind of surface – FieldTurf – that is now common at many high schools. Forcing owners to provide ideal conditions for their athletes isn’t worth regulating aggressively, apparently. Sure there are “rules” but they are token at best. And after players get hurt what difference does it make? I’d love to see a report showing how many injuries occur at each field.

Soldier Field in Chicago is also a terrible field but in a different way. It’s soft, lumpy, and a borderline mud pit. FedEx field is crap-grass growing out of hard dirt with some extra dirt thrown on top for aesthetics. A cleat planted in soft lumpy dirt will give a little when the player’s foot and leg twist. A cleat planted in hard-packed dirt won’t give at all. That’s how we get to see disgusting things like knees bending 90 degrees the wrong way. The warning sign should be that players have to wear ridiculously long cleats to play on a certain field. Give me a freaking break. Hopefully Dan Snyder is taking a long walk off of a short pier right now and the waters below are filled with sharks that have laser beams attached to their heads and the Sharks are all pissed off Cowboy’s fans. I almost forgot to mention that Snyder pumps artificial noise into his stadium.

I really hope Chris Clemons’ injury is better than they are currently thinking. I feel bad that a guy who has busted his ass all year gets done in by the greed and negligence of another team’s owner in the first game of the playoffs. Never mind the fact that it hurts Seattle’s defensive line. He needs to get better because Seattle is lucky enough to play in Snyder’s joke of a stadium again next season!

I like our odds against Atlanta. Currently the Falcons are favored by about 2.5 points, but that might close to 1.5. Atlanta has yet to win a playoff game under Matt Ryan and Seattle has one under their belt already with Wilson. Hopefully Browner is better than he was yesterday because we’ll need him and Sherman to shut down Roddy White and Julio Jones. Anyway, those are topics for an article later this week.

On defense the group is Bobby Wagner, Casey Hayward, and Chandler Jones. Sorry Janoris Jenkins, you have lots of talent but aren’t very disciplined at this point and need to improve.

Being the quantitative geek that I am, I have decided to compare Wilson and Griffin using some sort of quantifiable metrics. (Don’t worry, there will be lots of graphs, too.) Since I personally don’t really care who wins this award I came into this analysis without a dog in the hunt.

Let’s start by looking a quick set of basic metrics.

As you can see, Griffin edges out Wilson is every category except for touchdowns. That being said, Wilson’s TD/INT ratio is only 2.6 while Griffin’s is 4. Don’t get me wrong, they are ridiculously close but objectively Griffin has the edge in these basic stats. They also both threw 393 times and Griffin has only 82 more yards than Wilson. Wilson also attempted a higher percentage of deep throws than Griffin.

While those baseline stats are nice, they don’t really add much color. For instance, Seattle played a harder schedule than Washington. Seattle’s opponent’s winning percentage was .505 while Washington’s was only .494.

There is also the fact that both quarterbacks are not qualitatively all that similar. Keith wrote an article illustrating just that point. Given that, I thought it would add more clarity to break out the separate aspects of their games — passing, rushing, and total against the quality of the opposing defenses in those same categories. Let’s first look at rushing.

First, I include the game that Griffin did not play in because I believe that if a player gets statistical credit for playing a certain way and thereby accepting the risk of playing in such a way, then the costs of those risks should also be factored in. In this case, it’s the game that Griffin sat out. (In all fairness, Wilson also sat out about 2.5 quarters of the season.)

Some quick data information. The defensive averages are the average of a certain type of yard in games up to that game not counting yards from a Washington or Seattle game. So, in essence, a quarterback’s numbers won’t be used against himself. It’s his performance compared to the defenses performance against every other opponent, rushing and passing.

The quarterbacks’ cumulative average is the average of all games played up to the end of each week. I prefer this average because it shows trends rather than a flat line over the entire season.

You can see above that Griffin generally ran for more yards per game than did Wilson. This is both a stylistic difference in the players and a difference in play calling. Griffin was provided with an offensive scheme much more catered to his abilities as a mobile quarterback while Wilson was basically forced to stay in the pocked for the first half of the season. Wilson clearly began running more in the last third of the season and that moved his average up a bit, while Griffin was up and down all season. Griffin’s best rushing games came against Minnesota, New York, and Philadelphia. Wilson’s came against Chicago, Buffalo, and St. Louis.

Now let’s look at the two quarterbacks’ aerial statistics.

The passing data and charts show a different story. Wilson’s passing average increased by nearly 50 yards per game over the season while Griffin’s dropped by almost 100 yards per game. Even if you don’t count the Cleveland game his average still drops by over 100 yards a game over the season.  Both Wilson and Griffin ended the season averaging nearly the same however, 195 and 200 yards per game respectively.  I do think the upward trend of Wilson though speaks more to his actual development while Griffin trended down most of the season and became prone to injury toward the end. I would prefer to have a steady-as-she-goes upward trending quarterback like Wilson than someone who is a spectacular player when they’re healthy, but is unable to play a complete season. (Paging Michael Vick! Who, ironically, also had the best selling jersey in the NFL, before he decided he’d rather kill dogs for sport.)

The final set of charts shows the quarterbacks’ QBRs in each game overlayed their QBR rank and their opponent’s defensive rank for each game. I highlighted in green the games in which the quarterback was ranked first in QBR for the week. The ranks are at the top of each column.

Russell Wilson had three weeks where he was the best performing quarterback in the NFL. Those games came against Miami, Buffalo, and San Francisco. Seattle also played an average ranked defense of 13th. Washington’s opponents averaged19th. That’s a substantial difference in quality of defensive opponent. Griffin finished the season with a 71.4 QBR while Wilson had a 69.6 QBR.

In the end, I would probably vote for Wilson because I’m a Seahawks fan. I don’t see enough discernible differences between the two players to make an overwhelming case one way or the other. A vote for either man is completely defensible. In the end, I’d put money on Griffin to win, largely because of media bias and ignorance that is generally displayed week to week by too many of the people that get to vote in this popularity contest. I doubt many of the voters have done even the level of analysis I’ve done here. I’d value the award if there was some sort of objectivity inserted into it. Right now it’s more subjective than Olympic figure skating and gymnastics.

There are a lot of other conclusions and analyses that can be drawn from these charts and the underlying data but I already feel like my head is so far up my own butt in doing this that I should probably stop. If you want the data to go down the rabbit hole with me, let me know. I was unable to find any sort of massive database available from the NFL or ESPN that could be downloaded so if you want the individually and painfully collected data to do something else with it, I’ve got it.

*I refuse to use the pretentious and obnoxious III moniker. As far as I know there isn’t a Robert Griffin I or II in the NFL. Same goes for all the idiots putting “JR” and “SR” on their jerseys for no reason. This is more a statement to the ridiculous trend of players to get creative on their jerseys than a stab at just one player. I’m getting off my soapbox now.

In the final week of play many teams stayed ranked in the spot or just moved one spot up or down. The biggest move was by the Titans who jumped five places to finish at 23rd. The Steelers moved up three spots to 15th, and the Cowboys and Browns both fell three places to finish 17th and 26th, respectively.

The top twelve rankings all belong to playoff teams however the seeding is quite different.

The table above shows the order of how NFC and AFC teams would be seeded according to the final rankings. Of course, seeding is determined over an entire season so it’s just a demonstration of the current strength or weakness of a team and where they are in the playoffs. The AFC is nearly identical to the order of AFC teams ranked by 12thManRising’s writers.

In the NFC you can see that the teams that finished strongest are more mismatched when compared to their playoff seed. Seattle is arguably the hottest NFC team right now and they are seeded fifth with a game this Sunday at Washington. The Falcons have been somewhat inconsistent in the end of the season but have the ability. Of course Matt Ryan still needs to win his first playoff game. San Francisco also gets a bye but is battling some injuries and the loss of Mario Manningham following the game in Seattle. Both those teams have home field but are very beatable after a bye week.  Seattle on the other hand will have win on the road in the playoffs which hasn’t been done since the ’90s. This is a big test for a very dynamic football team who will be playing a similarly hot Redskins team.

I’m going to breeze through some of the other highlights. The NFC West finished as the strongest division, followed by the NFC North, which makes sense since both divisions also sent two teams each to the postseason.

The weakest divisions were the AFC West and AFC East. Each of them had only one team above .500.  The NFC West had two teams well over .500 and a third team that was just half of a game below due to a tie.

Here are charts showing the AFC West and East (the divisions with the least parity) followed by the NFC East (the division with the most parity).

I think that’s enough charts for now. I hope this was useful or at least entertaining for the 2012 season. That’s all until next September.

Dec 23, 2012, Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider looks at the Seahawks bench in between during the fourth quarter against the San Francisco 49ers at CenturyLink Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

All I can say is that waiting was the worst part. The week before this game had my nerves all twisted and blood pressure at a consistently unhealthy level. I tried to avoid conversations about football with any of my friends in San Francisco and stay focused on the game at hand. When kickoff finally rolled around I had so much adrenaline in my system that I didn’t know how to process it. Cry? Yell? Run around in circles like a jack-rabbit on amphetamines? I realize I might have taken this game way too seriously, but I can’t help it. I hate losing, as many of you probably already know. But more than just losing, I hate losing to the 49ers.

Anyway, by the time kick off finally arrived, it seemed like the game had taken on a sense of inevitability. There was just so much energy, support, and emotion behind the Seahawks that it would have taken a Herculean effort to stop the Seahawks yesterday. Even with Justin Smith I don’t think San Francisco could have taken down the Seattle team that showed up Sunday night. The fans simply would not let it happen.

Russell Wilson continued his odyssey of dismantling opposing defenses with an almost scientific precision. Marshawn Lynch continued to punish opposing linebackers and secondaries. Speaking of secondaries, ours played out of their

Dec 23, 2012, Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll stands on the sideline during during the fourth quarter against the San Francisco 49ers at CenturyLink Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

minds. Kam Chancellor laid down the hit of the season on Vernon Davis. A completely legal hit, I’d like to add. Sherman had an interception and a recovered blocked field goal. Red Bryant had his fourth blocked kick in two years. The game was so complete that I could basically list every play and talk about how great it was.

I was worried that Colin Kaepernick’s mobility would present problems for Seattle. Especially with demonstrated weakness across the middle in various pass plays. The defensive line held strong though and on top of that they made Frank Gore look like a below average running back. Seeing Seattle beat Chicago, Green Bay, New England, and now San Francisco. I just wish I could see them play Atlanta, Houston, and Denver just so the complete set of the NFL’s top teams would be in the record.

After this game, the national media has finally started to pay attention to the wrecking ball coming out of Seattle. Russell Wilson is finally getting the attention he deserves for rookie of the year consideration. I honestly don’t especially care about individual awards such as rookie or players of the year. They’re nice but ultimately meaningless.

Aldon Smith was in the running for defensive player of the year but didn’t get a single sack against Seattle because his front man, Justin Smith, wasn’t there to block for him. Does that mean Aldon or Just in is more valuable? Anyway, if Wilson gets it, great. If not, who cares? It’s not like the sports media complex has demonstrated any sort of integrity or fairness when reporting sports in the last few years. Looking at you, ESPN. The new attention is nice but I’d rather keep the chip on the team’s shoulder and use that to steamroll their way through the post season.

Alright, that’s enough words on this great victory. Seattle has punched its ticket to the post season and I expect them to do some damage while they are there. I wish I was in the Northwest to experience this with the 12^th Man. Someday soon, hopefully.

Also want to send shout-outs to Doug Baldwin who reemerged this game and made an awesome catch in the end zone showing great spatial awareness. Also, Red Bryant for being nothing less than Big Red. And finally Chris Clemons who chased down Kaepernick to tackle him from behind on a play that wasn’t a sack but a great demonstration of his intensity and determination.

Dec 9, 2012, Seattle, WA, USA; Arizona Cardinals head coach Ken Whisenhunt, left, and Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll stand at midfield during pregame warmups at CenturyLink Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

After completely leveling two teams in consecutive weeks the Seattle Seahawks and their coach, Pete Carroll have been coming under fire for “running up the score.” Some of this criticism came on the same exact day that two other teams the Saints and Falcons won by an even larger margin in shutouts with completely different analysis provided. In the case of the Saints game, where they beat the Buccaneers 41-0, Brian Billick pontificated that the Saints were simply giving game experience to their younger players and developing them. In the Falcon’s 34-0 rout of the Giants it was observed that they were simply playing like a “Super Bowl team.” Meanwhile John Lynch was showing concern over Seattle running up the score on Buffalo.

There are a few aspects to this that need to be broken down. First, this was the second week in a row where Seattle had come out and destroyed their opponent. In Seattle’s 58-0 shutout of Arizona the week before, Tim Ryan couldn’t get over the fact that Seattle kept scoring. Never mind the fact that 14 of those points came from the defense and Seattle had pulled it’s starters with ten minutes to go in the third quarter. Seattle did attempt a long pass on a fourth down, but they were in a field situation where punting would have been ridiculous, a field goal had a high probability of success, and Seattle instead chose to have its backup quarterback make a long pass to a rookie backup receiver that was incomplete.

Against Buffalo, Seattle ran a fake punt that was successful and was called due to a preset play in a given situation. Pete Carroll subsequently apologized and said that he should have called the play off. I can see why people might be upset with that play call. As for running up the score however, Marshawn Lynch came out in the third quarter. Backup Robert Turbin was put in. Matt Flynn was inserted with about five minutes left to go in the game.

Neither Arizona nor Buffalos defense showed any capability of stopping Seattle no matter who was in the game. It creates awkward situations, but at some point the defense is required to make a stop and an offense taking a knee with a quarter to go seems even more humiliating.

There seem to be several factors should be discussed. What exactly did Seattle do uniquely that the Saints and Falcons did not that warranted a truckload of crap to be dumped on the Seahawks and more specifically Pete Carroll? What exactly constitutes “running up the score?” Is it the difference in points or the play calling? Is the standard evenly applied to all teams?

I’m not going to focus on the Seattle-Arizona game because there is nothing that Seattle could have done besides take a knee or punt on every play starting in the third quarter. The NFL probably would have found a way to fine the team and Arizona, rightly, would have been pissed.

In the Buffalo game, the only thing Seattle did that could be deemed unsportsmanlike would be running a fake punt. If this is what offends people, then Pete Carroll has apologized and owned the mistake. He might not feel as bad as you want him to but why should he honestly care about your dainty sensibilities? He’s done more than Bill Beilichick has ever done in regard to running up scores by even apologizing. If it wasn’t the play call that upset you then it could only have been the actual point difference.

The final score of Seattle and Buffalo was 50-17. That is a difference of 33 points. New Orleans beat Tampa Bay by 41 points and kept Drew Brees in until there was just over six minutes remaining in the game. Pete Carroll pulled Russell Wilson much earlier the week before against Arizona.

In the Giants-Falcons game, Matt Ryan didn’t come out until there were four minutes remaining in the game. This was mostly a token maneuver as Atlanta proceeded to run Jason Snelling five times and then have Luke McCown take a knee twice. Atlanta beat New York by 34.

Maybe all three teams ran up the score, played like Super Bowl teams, and were trying to develop young players at the same time and Seattle just had the bad luck of getting the ass-hat Tim Ryan in week 14 and a very sensitive John Lynch in week 15 while New Orleans was being observed by Brian Billick and the Falcons by the Kenny, Moose and Goose show (my favorite announcing crew). If the score is your problem than I’d like to see the Saints and Falcons included on any list you put the Seahawks on. Feel free to throw the Belichick led Patriots from 2007 on the list as well. They ran the score up on their opponents for an entire season. Never once did Brady come out of the game.

Some other notable score differentials:

• 2009: New England 59, Tennessee 0
• 2011: New Orleans 62, Indinapolis 7
  • Drew Brees stayed in the game and ran up the score because he was attempting to catch up t0 Brady in breaking the single season passing record. Are records legitimate reasons to be “unsportsmanlike?”

Ken Whisenhunt of the Arizona Cardinals also kept passing after the game was in hand against the Seahawks in Mike Holmgren’s final season as coach in a successful effort to have three receivers over 1,000 yards for the season. Records seem like a dubious reason since they are completely selfish in nature and if sportsmanship is the name of the game, it seems like that would trump individual achievements.

I’m not exactly sure where the line in points is to be considered as “running up the score” so I can’t really create one. For most people I imagine it can be best described by using Justice Potter Stewart’s words in the 1964 Supreme Court case Jacobellis v. Ohio regarding hard-core pornography: you “know it when [you] see it.” That is a perfectly fine rationale, however to be used, one must acknowledge the inherent subjectivity of it and therefore it’s overall shortcoming in meaning anything. But when did subjectivity and meaning ever stop sports or political pundits from saying anything?

The final thing could just be people’s general disdain for Pete Carroll that is carried over from his successful career as a college coach. I’ve seen the terms “douche” and “idiot” thrown around in describing Pete Carroll. College football is an entirely different subject and huge score differentials are much more common so I can only assume people are offering their opinions on the character of Pete Carroll over the Reggie Bush incident. I have my opinions on what happened at USC (and had them before Seattle hired Pete Carroll) but I’m not going to hash that out here. The fact is there are many coaches in college that run scores up. In fact Jim Harbaugh did it to Pete Carroll and even went for a two-point conversion after already being up. Les Miles, Mac Brown, Nick Saban, the list could go on. These are opinions that can’t be changed and aren’t worth acknowledging after this sentence.

Seattle gets a lot of disrespect. Much more than teams from larger markets (Giants, Patriots, Cowboys, etc.) or with more renowned histories (Green Bay). This makes it hard for Seattle fans to not instinctively become defensive and circle the wagons every time some dip$h!t from ESPN decides to advocate for breaking Russell Wilson’s legs as retribution to Pete Carroll. Toni Kornheiser wouldn’t dream of saying that about Robert Griffin or Andrew Luck. If he did ESPN would come down on him like a ton of bricks because Griffin and Luck are the players and stories that the network has been pimping all year. He said it about Russell Wilson though, and that’s okay. Never mind the fact that the moment to advocate for unnecessary violence might not be this current one.

I vigorously try to resist the urge to go into an “us-versus-them” mindset. Seattle often doesn’t get a fair shake in the overall scheme of NFL commentary. We put up with being labeled as “South Alaska” on national television by an idiot that shills for boner pills in his free time. Seattleites are used to that. It is different when people try to comment on the character and integrity of a team they normally don’t think twice about. I’m proud that my football team is full of players that generally avoid trouble, don’t beat women, abuse drugs, and/or shoot people. (Leroy Hill is really the only exception I can think of.)

You don’t have to like Pete Carroll but I wouldn’t call him unsportsmanlike or a douche. By extension, you’d be calling the players that love playing for him the same thing and then the fans that support those players the same. That is what I resent. I’m okay if opinions are consistently applied no matter who might fall victim to them, but I am sick of the Seahawks being singled out as some illegitimate exception that doesn’t belong. There are people that are more defensive than me, but I don’t want to turn into that kind of fan. I’m willing to listen to any argument but be willing to include everyone else that falls under whatever category you establish and include them when you talk about the subject. Don’t just refer to Seattle as the paragon of all that is wrong in the NFL. I can think of several teams that have bigger issues both on and off the field.

*I just want to add that I really like and respect both Ken Whisenhunt and Chan Gailey as coaches and men. I have a soft spot for Buffalo as another small-market team that gets limited respect. I respect Whisenhunt as a coach and competitor and would be disappointed to see him out of the NFC West. I also realize and acknowledge there are probably other small market teams that feel similarly to Seattle’s fan base in certain areas discussed above.

December 16, 2012; Toronto, ON, Canada; Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch (24) reacts on the bench during a game against the Buffalo Bills at the Rogers Centre. Seattle defeated Buffalo 50-17. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports

The Seahawks did it again. The made sure that they at least have a solid chance at making the playoffs. All they have to do is win one of their remaining two games against San Francisco and St. Louis. And if Seattle is able to beat Saint Harbaugh and Arizona beats San Francisco in the final week with Seattle winning out , the Seahawks are the NFC West division champs. Basically the situation is in flux and very fluid at this point. Chance of playoff berth is high, with a smaller chance of division championship. Either way, Seattle would be playing in the first week. It’s just whether it’s home or away.

I know everybody not in Seattle has their panties in a twist over “douche” “idiot” Pete Carroll “running up the score” on poor little Buffalo, but I’m going to be covering that in another piece. For now, I’ll just say there were two other games, both shut-outs, on the same day that higher spreads in the score. Food for thought.

Onto some more meaningful thoughts. First, why the hell does Pete Carroll keep starting Leroy Hill over Malcolm Smith? Maybe there is a reason. I don’t know what it is, but I’d really like to hear it. With Hill on the field, I feel like the opportunity for the opponent to open up a big play is greatly increased (ex. CJ Spiller’s touchdown run). Smith is a better tackler, a headier player, and is able to back up his team mates. Hill often times looks lost and has an uncanny ability to get run over.

Russell Wilson continues to grow and lead the team. It is clear that Pete Carroll made the correct choice for quarterback. I wish he’d have opened the playbook up sooner, but nothing can be changed now. I just hope Seattle’s success continues into next season. The NFC West is getting much stronger and Arizona could resurge without much changing.

Marshawn Lynch is a stud. I wish Wilson had shared some of his rushing touchdowns with Lynch because it would have helped me in the fantasy playoffs. Now I have to hope that Shonn Green somehow scores 20 points tonight against the Titans. With Lynch able to get rest and Robert Turbin able to step in for the second half of the last two games, it means Lynch will be rested for the 49ers and hopefully the playoffs.

Steven Hauschka really stresses me out. I’ve thought the trajectory of his extra point kicks is really low for a long time and now he’s had two of them blocked in the last 23 attempts. I’m not sold on Hauschka as Seattle’s long term kicker. He doesn’t have great range and no real credibility in crunch time. If somebody becomes available in the off season I hope Pete Carroll takes a look.

The defense seemed very lackadaisical for the first half. Seattle built a quick lead but the defense had a difficult time stopping CJ Spiller and Stevie Johnson was able to make some nice catches (one of which there was nothing that could be done about). The second half was much better and made the overall game statistics for the defense look good. I just wish they’d play a whole four quarters that way. It will be needed against San Francisco. I’m worried about Colin Kaepernick’s running ability and Seattle needs to be able to shut that down early. If Seattle can stop Kaepernick and Frank Gore on the ground, San Francisco will become very one-dimensional and I think our secondary would eat Kaepernick’s arm alive.

Which brings me to Seattle’s pass-rush, or lack thereof. The defensive line was finally able to wear down Buffalo’s offensive line but there was no real pressure on Ryan Fitzpatrick until later in the game. Seattle needs to pressure the quarterback early and often. Then they’ll hopefully get more plays like Bruce Irvin’s hilarious recovery and run. He might have the best happy-face in the NFL.

My final thought is something I encountered on Twitter during the game. Seahawks fans are very proud and defensive of their team. I know I am; especially to outsiders. However, I don’t think Seattle is perfect and there is still a lot of legitimate criticism and areas for improvement to be focused on. I’ve outlined some of them above. It isn’t because I’m “not a true fan” or will never be happy. It’s because I have high expectations and I believe that Seattle can live up to them. If I was completely satisfied and had no qualms whatsoever, that would mean that I’d expect another 7-9 or 8-8 season and be happy with just missing the playoffs. Instead, I see a lot of potential in Seattle to be 50% better than they are now. They could be a team that San Francisco fears playing instead of the other way around. Seattle can certainly beat San Francisco, but I in no way feel confident about the game. I’d rather be on the other side of that equation – feeling confident, but not certain. I’d rather have the 60% in a 60-40 split.

I have no problem giving a compliment or celebrating when something is done well. But I don’t believe in focusing on the good at the expense of the improvable. If something is already done well – Seattle’s running game for instance – then I don’t think I need to talk about it as much. Just keep doing what they’re doing. I am strong believer in hanging a lantern on your problems and then working like hell to fix them. It’s not traitorous. It’s simply improving the foundation upon which the franchise is built.

Those are all my immediate gut-related thoughts for this week. Until next week, I’ll be breathing deep and removing throwable objects from my living room in preparation for this Sunday’s game.