Nathan Scandella (personal)

Put the Seahawks out of their misery.

I've patiently waited for the Seahawks to turn into a real football team for 9 years. No luck. Now, I just can't wait for them to tear it all apart and start over. I don't want to see any more of Mike Holmgren, Matt Hasselbeck, and Bobby Engram. It's time that football fans in this town were greated to some above-average talent.

Not above average? Haven't they won the division four years in a row? Yes, they have. And the weakest division in football at that. For most of the Seahawks' stay in the NFC West, they have been the only so-so team amongst three other weak ones. Similarly, the NFC as a whole has been the weaker conference for some time now. The Seahawks relative success has been a mere illusion. For example, three times in the Holmgren era the Seahawks have posted a winning record, but been outscored on the season. This is generally a sign of a team that's not as good as its record would indicate, and that maybe got lucky once or twice. The 2007 Mariners are another great example of this effect.

Consider also that before Holmgren took over, the Seahawks were not a bad team, merely a mediocre one. They barely missed the playoffs on account of a referee mistaking Vinny Testaverde's green and white dome for a football. Since then, the fans have stepped up with phenomenal attendance, and some of the loudest cheers at any stadium, indoor or out. Paul Allen has stepped up with a hefty payroll. The only ones who haven't stepped up are the players and coaches. Too bad, they're the ones who actually have the biggest impact on the field. For the city to have ponied up a new stadium, sterling attendance, and ear-piercing cheers, only to have elevated their team from so-so, to better-than-average in the weakest division, is pathetic.

The year the Seahawks went to the Super Bowl, I would argue, was the only year under Holmgren that the Seahawks were legitimately better-than-average (league-wide). And then, only barely so. They played in a division where every other team lost at least 10 games. Even without the losses to Seattle, those teams were all still losing squads. In the playoffs, the Seahawks got to play at home against the (weak) NFC's number 5 and number 6 seeds. Then, in the Super Bowl, then were pitted against the AFC's number 6 seed. It's mathematically impossible to have an easier route to an NFL championship, and the Seahawks couldn't do it. Sure, the refs weren't exactly on their side, but they didn't cost them 11 points, either.

The Seahawks that year were blessed by good luck, on their road to the Super Bowl. In addition to the soft playoff schedule (where their first two opponents were struck with critical injuries), the Seahawks had injuries on their side. They had precious few injuries to their own top players. And the ones they did have, I believe, actually made them a better team. Mike Holmgren has to have the worst taste in wide receivers of anyone ever to run the West Coast offense. His attachment to Bobby Engram, Koren Robinson, and Darryl Jackson held the Seahawks back for years. In 2005, injuries actually allowed Joe Jurevicius and DJ Hackett to get into the mix, and they were flat-out better than the guys they replaced. Here, dumb luck made up for Holmgren's deficiencies, to the 'Hawks' advantage.

Our roster is comprised of a few slightly decent finesse players, whom can win a few more than they lose when they're healthy. When even a few of them go down, we're left with a core that's virtually without stars. The only truly exceptional football player the Seahawks have is Walter Jones, and WJ is clearly past his prime, appearing to have also lost his motivation having been surrounded by mediocrity for so long. The Seahawks let their only other recent star go when they gave Steve Hutchinson away. Hutch's departure exposed Shaun Alexander as an average runner, whose stats could've been replaced by 20 other backs in the league, when paired with that offensive line. In fact, during the time Alexander was here, his backup Mo Morris was almost identically productive during the time he saw on the field. Not surprisingly, the rest of the league has hesitated to snap Alexander up on the free agent market.

Where did this all go wrong? It starts with the belief that Holmgren is something that he isn't. He acheived recognition on the basis of a couple guys named Montana and Favre. In 17 years of coaching, he's won only one Super Bowl. There's nothing wrong with that, but that's not enough to be considered a great coach. His lone Lombardy trophy was won with the help of what was, at the time, the best offensive (Favre) and best defensive (Reggie White) players in the game. Aside from the fact that he may never have been great, Holmgren isn't the coach he used to be. His offense is no longer creative and novel. Several other head coaches in the league run it, and can defend against it quite nicely. He's also older. Nobody likes to admit it, but sometimes age dulls our edge. Holmgren has also received a ton of rope in Seattle, and I think he's probably a little too comfortable with his situation. There doesn't seem to be any pressure on him, and I think he's slacked off as a result. This is both the fault of the Seattle fanbase, and his boss, owner Paul Allen. Allen's style has lead to an almost identical high-payroll, mediocre product result with the Portland Trailblazers.

The Seahawk fanbase is also probably too loyal, and not demanding enough of the performance of their players. This town is obsessed with outside-the-lines behaviour of their sports personalities, and the result has been a sacrifice in athletic talent. Jerramy Stevens was a perfect example. This kid couldn't do anything right, as far as the fans were concerned. But, a look at the numbers reveals he's the best tight end the Seahawks have ever had. He also is the only Seahawk ever to score a touchdown in the Super Bowl. Seattlites love the Jamie Moyers, Nate McMillans, and Matt Hasselbecks of the world. But, those guys don't bring you championships. Stars do. And we have a hard time keeping stars here.

Mellow people with their priorities in check is one of the things I love most about the city of Seattle. But, let's face it ... those qualities don't forge great sports franchises. So, I guess I'll have to be content to be proud of my city, and ashamed of my teams :)

Posted at 02:54PM Oct 25, 2008 by Nathan in Sports  |  Comments[0]