12th Man Rising Weekend Links

Jeffri Chadiha of ESPN.com put together a list of NFL stars who need to rebound from harsh 2008 seasons. Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck makes the list at number ten. From Chadiha:

"No team’s record was more distorted last season than the Seahawks’. Hasselbeck missed nine games because of back and knee injuries, and his absence was a key reason the Seahawks finished 4-12. But don’t think that Hasselbeck won’t face more questions now that he’s heading into his 11th season. At 34 years old, he’s reached a point in his career that his physical condition should be on the minds of everyone in the Seahawks organization."

Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution wrote a nice article that documents kicker Brandon Coutu’s off-season workouts with legendary kicker Morten Andersen. Apparently, Andersen focused a lot of improving Coutu’s kickoffs, working for increased hang time and distance. Coutu will face an uphill battle in training camp to retain his roster spot for the upcoming season.

Zach Smith of DeaconsIllustrated.com recaps a recent radio show, the Seahawks Weekly Blitz, which focused on rookie addition Aaron Curry. The weekly show includes host Tim Collette from Seahawk Nation Blog and yours truly.

Dave Krieg’s Strike Beard offers another unique and interesting piece addressing life as a Seahawks fan outside of the Pacific Northwest. Quite a fascinating perspective; who would’ve thought fans in Cleveland and Detroit believe themselves to be better than Seattle?

Clare Farnsworth of Seahawks.com has an excellent write-up on Seattle’s linebackers. Leroy Hill is the focus of the article. I sure do miss reading Clare’s Seahawks coverage every morning in the Seattle P-I.