Feb 3, 2013; New Orleans, LA, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Michael Crabtree (15) is unable to catch a pass in the end zone while defended by Baltimore Ravens free safety Ed Reed (20) on a fourth down play in the fourth quarter in Super Bowl XLVII at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

There’s never a lot of worthwhile news from around the NFL this time of year, but that wasn’t the case yesterday. The San Francisco 49ers have lost their best wide receiver to a torn Achilles tendon. Michael Crabtree has surgery yesterday, and will likely miss most of the 2013 season.

This is big news for the Seahawks, as well as the rest of the NFC West. The 49ers are already without Mario Manningham  and Kyle Williams, both of whom missed the end of the 2012 season with ACL injuries.

This leaves the 49ers with a major problem. Their top receiver is an aging Anquan Boldin who seems to have lost what little speed and quickness he once had. Boldin will likely start on one side, with rookie Quinton Patton on the other side.

Tight ends Vernon Davis and rookie Vance McDonald might be the best receiving targets for QB Colin Kaepernick at this point. I also would be surprised to see in increased role for RB LaMichael James in the passing game with a Darren Sproles-type role within the offense.

Lucky for the 49ers, Crabtree might not be done for the year. Changes to the PUP-list rules mean that there is no longer a week 10 deadline for a player to return from an offseason injury. Starting in 2013, a team can wait as long as week 15 to activate a player off the PUP list. This means that Crabtree could be back in time to help with a late season playoff push.

All is not bleak in San Francisco. It is possible that 2nd year player AJ Jenkins turns out to not be a complete bust. The coaches are also high on the possibility that Richardo Lockette (remember him?) could finally put it all together and become a productive WR. There is also legitimate hope that Williams could be ready for week 1.

Overall though, there are far more questions than answers in San Francisco right now, and it probably doesn’t matter all that much. The WRs were never the strength of the team, even with a healthy Crabtree. The 49ers win on the strength of their defense and rushing attack, and the loss of Crabtree wont change that.

Nov 17, 2012; Houston, TX, USA; Rice Owls tight end Luke Willson (82) runs after a catch against the Southern Methodist Mustangs in the first quarter at Rice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

The seventh installment of “Obscure Seahawks Bi-Weekly” profiles rookie tight end Luke Willson. He may not be obscure enough for you because he was a 5^th round draft pick this year, but leading up to the draft few had heard of him so I’m going to call it close enough. Also, he is a good Canadian kid, a fellow Ontarian (one who is from the Canadian province of Ontario) and a guy who has connection to two Toronto sports franchises so I’m going to show him some love. Good? Good.

The Basics

Age: 23

Height: 6’ 5”

Weight: 252 lbs

Position: TE

Number: #82

College: Rice

Method of Acquisition: Drafted by the Seahawks in the 5^th round  158^th overall

Years Pro: R

40 yard dash time: 4.51 seconds

Vertical: 38 inches

Bench Press Reps:23

NCAA career stats: 45 GP, 78 Rec, 986 Yards, 12 TD

Fun Fact: Luke Willson was drafted in the 5^th round of the CFL (32^nd overall) and also signed as an undrafted free agent with the Toronto Blue Jays in the summer of 2011 as a first baseman.

Scouting Report

Willson is a unbelievable raw athlete when it comes to size/speed numbers with surprising strength (his 23 bench press reps would have but him between Zach Ertz and Tyler Eifert at the NFL Combine) and an excellent vertical leap. Interest in Willson is almost entirely speculative because it’s not very clear what he can produce at the NFL level. His college stats are very pedestrian but he has all the tools and only recently committed exclusively to football. Willson profiles as a receiving tight end due to his speed. He is slightly undersized and has not shown much as a blocker so far. Looks a little bit like an even more athletic, even more raw Cameron Morrah.

Chances of Making the Team

Pretty good, actually. Zach Miller and Anthony McCoy are locked into the first two tight end spots and more likely than not there is only one more available. However, Willson has some fans in the Seattle front office given that he was drafted so much higher than expected. Among his competition (Cooper Heflet, Sean McGrath, Victor Marshall and Daniel Fells) Fells is the only one with a similar level of athletic prowess. Fells is also a whole lot bigger, but his football acumen is questionable as a lifelong basketball player. It seems that Willson is the most likely to make it as the 3^rd tight end but the sheer number of other bodies at the position makes it very possible that Willson misses out. If he fails to distinguish himself it’s likely that someone in the previously mentioned group of four will. That being said, with McCoy and Miller both competent blockers Willson could be used in a primarily receiving role for Seattle, which would give him the best chance to succeed. It’s hard to make arbitrary estimates for my new favorite Seahawk because he is the type of guy who could flash star potential or fall off the face of the Earth. I’ll say 45% Willson makes the team and 30% he ends up stashed on the practice squad.

EA announced a “new” mode for the upcoming Madden 25, Connected Franchise. Its not really new though. It’s actually the old “owner mode” franchise that the game had for over a decade before it was removed a year ago. 

The basics of the this mode are what they’ve always been:

• Be in charge of the team’s finances; keep it profitable by selecting the team’s marketing, ticket and concession prices, sponsors, etc.
• Hire and fire staff, including the GM, coaches, scouts, and trainers.
• Upgrade your stadium, build a new one, or even move your entire franchise to a new city and start over.

As long as they manage to fix those things, all of the new modes and features will likely be well received. Fail to do so, and EA is going to lose a large number of their core fans who buy their flagship game.

One way or another, this is going to be a big year for the Madden Franchise.

Nov 11, 2012; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks defensive end Bruce Irvin (51) celebrates a sack against the New York Jets during the third quarter at CenturyLink Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

My statistical study of 2012 defenses continues. I’m still trying to wrap my brain around the mathematics of all that drive data I posted a couple days ago. There’s plenty of good information there, but I can’t regress the data to wins without first accounting for offense and special teams. Doing that expands the data set ad infinitum, which removes the validity of what I was hoping to find.

There’s a way to do this, and I’ll find it. I’m just not there yet.

In the interim, I’ve decided to look into the last variable I can think that of needs to be addressed in this study. That would be the starting field position for opposing offense. The reasoning is pretty simple, give the offense a shorter field, and they’re likely to score points more often.

Below is the average starting field position for each team’s defensive drives. (There’s probably a better way to word that.) I expected the Seahawks to be near the top of the list, and sure enough they are there at #1.

My first thought when I saw the results was that the difference between the best (Seattle, 24.2 yard line) and the worst (Phily, 31.86 yard line) wasn’t enough to matter. It’s only 7 yards, right? Then I realized the cumulative effect that the difference could have over almost 200 possessions.

To show that, I calculated the difference in total yards over the entire season. Putting these numbers in perspective, the Eagles almost spotted their opponents Marshawn Lynch’s entire rushing production for the year, and that’s before those opponents ever ran a play. That’s a lot of yards being given to their opponents for free over the course of the season.

I have to say, the Seahawk’s special teams don’t get nearly the credit they deserve for being great last season. We know the Seahawks defense was among the best, and the Seahawk offense was as well at the end of the year. The special teams units get overlooked though, and that’s a shame. One look at the “total yards” column below, and it’s easy to see how important they are to the success of this team.

Special teams aren’t the only factor here in creating this average starting field position, though they are the biggest factor. Each team’s offense played a roll as well, since turnovers tend to be the cause for the shortest of the short-field scenarios. I don’t actually have the data, but I’d wager that teams who’s offenses have a high percentage of 3-and-outs are mostly down near the bottom of this list as well.

I’m probably going to have to collect all this same data for the offenses just to see how it comes up. It wont have any bearing on this study of defensive variables, but it’ll be very interesting.

What does all of this mean for the defenses? That’s simple. Good special teams can help inflate how good a defense is perceived to be. If the defense is already great, then forcing the opponent to travel farther to get points is just mean.

The Seahawks are apparently mean. I can live with that.

* All starting field position data was provided by Football Outsiders! I didn’t have the time to go though all the game logs to collect this particular data, so I owe them a huge thank you for making this data available.

Jan 13, 2013; Atlanta, GA, USA; Seattle Seahawks starting defensive backs Earl Thomas (29), Brandon Browner (39), Richard Sherman (25), Kam Chancellor (31) take the field for warm-ups prior to facing the Atlanta Falcons in the NFC divisional playoff game at the Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

The narrative being pushed by the media this past weekend, both local and national, is that the Seattle Seahawks have a serious and growing performance-enhancing drug (PED) problem. They site the 7 PED suspensions that have happened during Pete Carroll’s tenure. 

Unfortunately, the real facts don’t back up this storyline. Four of the cited suspensions have nothing to do with any so-called PED problem the Seahawks might have:

• Offensive lineman Allen Barbre tested positive in 2011, the year before he joined the Seahawks. The Seahawks signed him before the suspension was announced. The team cut him rather than putting him on the roster.
• Fullback Via Taua tested positive just after being signed to the practice squad. He had been a free agent just trying to land with a team before that. 
• Offensive lineman John Moffitt tested positive for a substance that is legal in the NFL if the player has a prescription. Moffitt has a prescription, and has had it for years. The only reason he was suspended was because he and the team doctor didn’t properly file all the necessary paperwork on time. 
• Cornerback Richard Sherman appealed his suspension and won, something that is supposed to be virtually impossible given today’s tests and testing protocols. Sherman was able to prove that his test sample had been tampered with. 

That leaves just 3 legitimate positive tests during Carroll’s tenture as head of coach of the Seahawks: safety Winston Guy, cornerback Brandon Browner, and the recent suspension of defensive end Bruce Irvin. Those  3 suspensions would put the Seahawks right in the middle of the pack with the rest of the NFL teams.

If the Seahawks do have a problem, it is not properly educating rookies on the NFL’s PED policies. 2 of the 3 legitimate suspension have come from rookies, as was John Moffitt’s paperwork problem. Even that fact goes against the accusations of a PED culture in Seattle, since once players are acclimated into the team they are unlikely to test positive.

But why let facts get in the way of good storyline.

None of these players are Benson Mayowa but there is shockingly little in the way of Idaho Vandals Football pictures on the internet.

The sixth installment of “Obscure Seahawks Bi-Weekly” looks at LEO prospect Benson Mayowa out of Idaho. Mayowa has only been a Seahawk since Monday but might just have a chance to stay awhile.

The Basics

Age: 21

Height: 6’ 3”

Weight: 236

Position: LEO

College: Idaho

Number: #47

Method of Acquisition: Signed as an undrafted free agent 5/13/13

Years Pro: R

40 yard dash time: 4.73 seconds

Vertical: 37 ½

NCAA career stats:  45 GP, 67 Tackles, 19 TFL, 11 Sacks, 11 FF, 7 PD

Fun Fact: Mayowa’s 20 yard shuffle time of 4.26 would have been tied for first at the Combine among defensive ends with Ziggy Ansah.

Scouting Report

The term that keeps coming up in scouting reports of Mayowa is ‘short-area quickness’. Whenever I investigate these fringe roster players I look for the unique talent that made them appeal to the Seahawks and for Mayowa it has to be his quickness. As shown above he had an elite 20 yard shuffle time and the buzz from his tryout was that he was very quick off the ball. That first step is essential for pass rushers and it’s a good thing that Mayowa has it because there isn’t a ton else exciting about him. His NCAA career was fine, but far from distinguished, his long speed is pedestrian and he’s on the small side, even for a LEO. Mayowa may be a one-trick pony but LEO is a one-trick position and if he can use his quickness to be disruptive in the passing game then no one will complain.

Chances of Making the Team

Not bad, at least for now. With Bruce Irvin’s suspension and the injury to Chris Clemons, Clint Avril is the last pure LEO left on the roster. Michael Bennett can play the role but he is more of a hybrid player. On 3^rd downs Bennett will probably see time at DT so the Seahawks will need someone to rush across from Avril. Even if they have Bennett line up on the other end there will need to be at least one LEO backup. Although someone else could be brought in, the only three real candidates for the role are Mayowa, fellow undrafted free agent Kenneth Boatright and 2013 draft pick Ty Powell. Boatright is the least athletic of the trio and looks unlikely to figure in Seattle’s plans. Powell has better long speed and a little more size than Mayowa but as a 7^th round pick it’s not as if he will be guaranteed a spot on the roster. I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Seahawks bring in John Abraham to help them get through this pass rushing crisis, but he may not be inclined to sign what would amount to a 4 game contract.  The door seems to be wide open for Mayowa while Irvin is out but I think there will probably be another move because I doubt a serious contender like the Seahawks would leave such an important role to such unproven players. Arbitrary Estimates: 25% chance of making the team, 35% of making the practice squad.

Dec 9, 2012; Seattle, WA, USA; Arizona Cardinals quarterback John Skelton (19) is hit by Seattle Seahawks defensive end Chris Clemons (91) after passing the ball during the 1st quarter at CenturyLink Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports

Yesterday I took at look at the number of drives that each team’s defense was on the field for. Those results were interesting, but they didn’t tell us much about what those drives resulted in. We were able to infer some of that based on the total points given up by those teams, but honestly, I want something more concrete than that.

I decided to take a look at how each of those drives ended. It doesn’t matter if a defense isn’t on the field much compared to other teams, if that defense still gives up a lot of touchdowns. (I’m looking at you Cowboys.) Ultimately, I believe the true measure of the quality of a defense is somewhere to be found in this particular data set. 

Unless I’ve made a horrible mistake here, drives can only end in 7 different ways: a touchdown, a field goal attempt, a punt, a turnover, a failed 4th down attempt, a safety, and at the end of a half. That’s a fairly limited number of possible outcomes, meaning I should be able to eventually tease out some very meaningful evaluation tools from this. We’ll see, there’s still a long way to go.

I was hoping to have some meaningful result to tell you about, but that’s going to have to wait until tomorrow. Compiling all this data took more time than I originally had available. Just getting this compiled and posted was all I could handle. I left off the safeties, since there’s only a couple total from the entire season and I’m already pushing the limits on the width of this table.

I did manage to give you the percentage for each outcome, though I’m not sure while that seems like a big deal in my head.

Jan 13, 2013; Atlanta, GA, USA; Seattle Seahawks free safety Earl Thomas (29) intercepts a pass intended for Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Roddy White (84) during the fourth quarter of the NFC divisional playoff game at the Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

I previewed this study yesterday (it should take me about a week to run all the stats and write up all the results), but now it’s time to get the first look at some of the numbers. I thought we’d start at the basics, and look at the number of drives that each defense was on the field for, and how that related to the number of points scored.

The Seahawks rank 1st in both categories. They were on the field for the least amount of drives (164) of any team, and also gave up the fewest number of total points (245). That shouldn’t come as a surprise if you read yesterday’s preview, since it was that combination that got me interested in undertaking this exhaustive study in the first place.

The league average drives was 181.2. That means that the Seahawks defense played approximately a game and a half less than the average NFL defense. This is significant. That’s a lot less time on the field, and a lot less opportunities for the opposing team to score points.

The Arizona Cardinals were on the other end of the spectrum, their 205 defensive drives was by far the most in the league. That’s 23 more than average, which is almost 2 full game’s worth of possessions. It’s also 41 more drives than the Seahawks defense was on the field for, or about 3 and a half games worth.

That is a mind boggling result to me. I never expected the difference to be that extreme.

I ran a correlational study there’s a a reasonable correlation between the number of drives and number of points given up. Notice I said reasonable, not high. The variables are correlated, but they are not highly correlated. That just means that there are other competing factors going on here, which should come as no surprise. 

There are some interesting outliers. Only 3 defenses were on the field more than that of the Bears, and yet they were 3rd in total points allowed. That’s pretty damn impressive. I think it has to do with that defense’s ability get turnovers to end drives early, but that’s just a guess at this point.

Another interesting outlier are the Arizona Cardinals. Despite being ont he field more than any other defense, they were right in the middle of the pack in terms of points allowed. That’s pretty impressive if you think about it. I bet the Cardinals will miss former defensive coordinator Ray Horton more than they expect they will.

On the other end of the spectrum are the Dallas Cowboys. Only the Seahawk’s defense was on the field less, and yet they were 24th in scoring defense. That’s impressive, but its a “damn they were awful” sort of impressive.

Here’ the full data for all 32 teams:

Jan 6, 2013; Landover, MD, USA; Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III (10) is sacked by Seattle Seahawks defensive end Bruce Irvin (51) during the fourth quarter of the NFC Wild Card playoff game at FedEx Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

The NFL announced today that Seattle Seahawks defensive end Bruce Irvin has ben suspended for the first 4 games of the 2013 season for violations of the league’s substance abuse policy. It is unknown what substance he tested positive for at this time. Irvin has announced that he will not appeal the suspension.

This statement from Irvin was released though the team:

“I want to apologize to my teammates, coaches and Seahawks fans for making a mistake when I took a substance that is prohibited in the NFL without a medical exemption. I am extremely disappointed in the poor judgment I showed and take full responsibility for my actions. I will not appeal the discipline and instead will focus my energy on preparing for the season so I can begin earning your trust and respect again. I look forward to contributing to the team the moment I return.”

The suspension to start the season will hurt Seattle more than if it had come later in the year. Fellow DE Chris Clemons is likely to begin the year on the Physically Unable To Perform list as he works back from a torn ACL injury. That means that the Seahawks will begin the season without their top 2 sack leaders from last season.

The Seahawks signed both Cliff Avril and Michael Bennett this past offseason to help with the pass rush, but they now appear to need additional help for the first 4 games. I wonder if John Abraham’s price has come down enough that John Schneider will consider adding him.

Aug 17, 2012; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings running back Derrick Coleman (49) against the Buffalo Bills at the Metrodome. The Vikings defeated the Bills 36-14. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

The fifth installment of ‘Obscure Seahawks Weekly” looks at athletic fullback/special teams ace Derrick Coleman. Coleman is an interesting guy (http://espn.go.com/los-angeles/columns/ncf/story/_/id/7273486/derrick-coleman-ucla-bruins-story-worth-hearing) who might just have the versatility and athleticism to stick around.

The Basics

Age: 22

Height: 5′ 11″

Weight: 233

Position: Fullback

College:UCLA

Number: #40

Method of Acquisition: Signed to futures contract 01/16/13

Years Pro: 2

40 yard dash time: 4.50

Vertical: 36 1/2

NCAA career stats: 49 GP, 341 carries, 1780 yards, 5.2 YPC, 19 TD

Fun Fact: Derrick Coleman is hard of hearing and reads lips in order to get audibles from his quarterback.

Scouting Report

Coleman has great speed for his size and has shown the ability to carry the ball effectively. He has the potential to be an excellent short-yardage back, not that Seattle has a particular need in that area. He has been an excellent special teams player at the college level and has the experience and physical ability to excel in a similar role in the NFL. Coleman wasn’t asked to catch many balls at UCLA so there is some uncertainty regarding that aspect of his game. Has to improve his blocking to be a successful fullback but has youth and physical tools on his side. Could find a niche as a Leonard Weaver-esque hybrid FB/RB.

Chances of Making the Team

Not impossible. Coleman’s chances are very dependent on how many fullbacks the Seahawks want to keep. If Seattle only keeps one fullback then Coleman has no opportunity to make this squad unless Michael Robinson becomes a salary cap casualty. If Pete Carroll feels like he can afford to keep two fullbacks Coleman will be in a duel with Spencer Ware for the backup fullback job. Although Ware was drafted by this regime, Coleman is a more accomplished special teamer and is significantly faster at the same size. Seattle hasn’t committed very much to Ware considering he was a sixth round pick, so Ware and Coleman would be in for a really interesting roster battle if the Seahawks are willing to carry two fullbacks on the roster. Coleman could also make this team if Carroll figured he was indispensable as a pure special teams player like Alex Bannister was a while back. However, that’s a fairly unlikely scenario. Coleman has quite a bit to offer but he needs a few things to break his way to make the 2013 Seahawks. Arbitrary Estimates: 16% chance of making the team, 34% chance of making the practice squad.

Feb 3, 2013; New Orleans, LA, USA; A general view of a goal line pylon with the Super Bowl XLVII logo at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

Yesterday I pointed out that Vegas has the Seahawks at 10 wins for this upcoming season. I decided to do some more digging, and found that there are currently odds available for games for weeks 1 through 16.

I starting compiling all the necessary info from Cantor, but then it was pointed out to me that  the National Football Post, has already done that for me. Pretty awesome stuff. Check out that link if you want to see the lines for every game.

Here’s short version for the Seahawks:

• Despite only predicting 10 wins, the Seahawks are favorites in 13 of 15 games.
• Being a favorite 13 times is tied for the most of any team. Other with 13 are San Francisco and Denver.
• Seattle is the underdog just once, tied with the 2 teams listed above, but that isn’t the lowest total. The Patriots are never underdogs, though they do have 3 “pick” games, more than any team.
• The Seahawks are favored on the road vs. Houston and against the Giants.
• The Seahawks are favored at home against the 49ers. The road game vs the 49ers is the only time Seattle isn’t favored.
• Seattle’s game on the road vs. Atlanta is a “pick” game.
• Seahawks are 14 point favorites vs. the Jaguars, which is scary.

Some Notes For the NFC West

• The Cardinals are never favored. The Jaguars are the only other team that is never favored.
• The Cards do have 3 “pick” games: Jaguards, Rams and Colts.
• The Rams are favored in just 4 games: AZ, Jaguars, Bucs and Titans
• The 49ers are only underdogs for their game in Seattle, they also have a “pick” game on the road vs the Saints.

Other Random Notes:

• The Colts and Vkings, both playoff teams from a year ago, are both only favored in 5 games.
• The Jets are somehow favored in 5 games.
• Oakland is favored in 2 games, which makes little sense.
• The Bills are favored twice, but the first time isn’t until week 9.

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.

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Nov 13, 2011; Seattle, WA, USA; NFL shield logo referee cap on the field during the game between the Baltimore Ravens and the Seattle Seahawks at CenturyLink Field. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-USA TODAY Sports

Apparently it’s never too early to bet on the NFL. Training camps are still months away, but casinos were more than willing to take your money if you’re willing to give it to them.

Cantor in Las Vegas has released the first over/under lines for team win totals. In that way are predicting the win totals for each team.

It should come as no surprise that the Seahawks are near the top of the list. Vegas has Seattle winning 10 games, which is actually 1 less win that they had a year ago. That number seems low to me, but I’m not going to be dumb enough to argue with a Vegas bookmaker.

Teams with the same win total are listed in the reverse order that a winning “over” bet will pay. For example, the payout on selecting the 49ers to win 12 or more games is less than the payout if the Broncos do the same.

September 10, 2011; Athens, GA, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks running back Marcus Lattimore (21) runs with the ball against the Georgia Bulldogs during the fourth quarter at Sanford Stadium. South Carolina defeated Georgia 45-42. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

It’s time for the third and final installment of my draft evaluations for the division rivals of our Seattle Seahawks. Obviously, it will take a couple years before we know how this draft will fully work out. These are just my impressions based on my pre-draft evaluations of these players.

The media seems to love the 49ers draft, but that’s rarely a good thing. My reflections on their draft are a little less rosy. The team seemed to be content with mostly finding “bust-proof” players, but in doing so failed to find many high ceiling players as well. It was a very Tim Ruskell sort of draft for the 49ers. And no, I’m not just being a Seahawks homer here. Take a look at the Rams and Cardinals evaluations, both of them were very positive.

Best Pick

This is an easy one, Marcus Lattimore, and it’s not even close. I really wanted Seattle to take Lattimore, and was very unhappy that he went to the 49ers. He likely wont play a down in 2013 as he continues to rehab from his massive knee injury, but he’s going to be a star in 2014 and beyond.

Worst Pick

For me, that would be 1st round pick Eric Reid. It’s hard to be too critical, since he’s going to be a multi-year starter, but when you move up to take a player at #18, they should be a special player, and I just don’t see that in Reid.

He’s a decent player, but I doubt he makes a Pro-Bowl on his own merits, though he might end up getting there a couple times because the 49ers front seven is so damn good. I had three other safeties rated higher than Reid when he was taken.

Without A Position

The 49ers’ selection of Tank Carradine is certainly an interesting one. The real question is, where is he going to play? Tank is built to be a 4-3 defensive end, but the 49ers use a variant of the 3-4. He’s likely too big, and not quick enough to play outside linebacker, and he’s not big enough to play 3-4 defensive end.

From what I’ve heard, the team hopes that he can add 10-15 pounds over the next year and then take over for Justin Smith at DE, but I question if he can add that much weight to his frame and retain the explosiveness that made him worthy of such a high selection.

I’ll admit, I really like Tank. He’s a guy I’d have loved to see in a Seattle uniform, so don’t think that I’m hating on him as a player. That’s not true at all. I’m just not sure how well he fits into the scheme the 49ers run.

Overall Impressions

When a team drafts 11 players in one year, it should be able to get more than two players who are capable of long term contributions. I don’t see that here. Instead, the 49ers played it safe, as if they were afraid to roll the dice and take a chance on anyone. In a way, the Seahawks and the 49ers had very opposite drafts.

Quinton Patton, Corey Lemonier, Nick Moody, Quinton Dial, etc. are all high floor, but low ceiling players. All are capable of contributing right away, but none offers significant upside beyond what they are right now. Good role players? Yes. Eventual starters on a playoff team? I just don’t see it.

The 49ers significantly upgraded their depth, but outside of Lattimore and Reid, I’m not sure they did much else.