And Tim Ruskell's the name!In the Comment section of this post is a letter that someone on the PI forum got from another forum, which supposedly went out to season ticket holders. The paragraphs that get into building the front seven seem a little too specific for a letter of this type, so I'm not sure if it's authentic.
However, there's also a story in the News Tribune about the stamp that Ruskell intends to put on this team, which comes just shy of calling out Shaun and Koren by name, that tends to lend additional credibility to this letter.
Go to the Comments portion to see the season ticket holder letter, and judge for yourself!
Dear Seahawks Fans,
ReplyDeleteI am extremely pleased to join the Seahawks family. I already feel right at home and have an urgency to lead this franchise to greater heights. Seattle has a 30-year NFL tradition with great players like Steve Largent, Jim Zorn, Jacob Green, Curt Warner, Kenny Easley, Dave Brown and Dave Krieg as well as a passionate fan base, the 12th Man. I am both excited and awed by the responsibility and the possibilities this franchise presents as we look to the future.
Traveling to the NFL combine in Indianapolis my first days on the job allowed me to immediately spend quality time with Coach Holmgren, his coaching staff and the scouts. We spent late nights discussing our collective vision for the Seahawks and although I don?t have a magic formula for attaining long-term success, I do have a plan.
I hope to regularly communicate with season ticket holders about our blueprint for success and my philosophy on specific areas of need. Here are a few initial thoughts:
We need players, coaches, administrators and support staff personnel who love the game of football and who are committed to working toward a common goal, which is winning the Super Bowl.
We will look at the character of this team. We want players who are not only good team players, but good citizens. We will concentrate on bringing in high character players whether it is through free agency or the draft. Leaders have to emerge to help guide this team on a sure and steady march to greatness. We will build this team around players who want to be here and who want to win no matter what it takes.
Philosophically, regarding the build and makeup of our defense, we have quality young players in our secondary, but we really have to start paying more attention to our front seven. We have to solidify our front and get more pressure to the quarterback. When you get that taken care of, everyone behind them gets better.
We will continue to strengthen our team, particularly the cornerback and linebacker position, through free agency and the draft. There are several quality free agents available, and this year's draft will present young, fast, and quality talent. We're not going to be void at either position.
I am excited about the next 30 days as we work together to upgrade our team. This is a good team that can play better! We all need to raise our standards and expectations to a higher level and losing has got to be unacceptable. My 20 years in football have taught me many things, and I promise you this, we'll get after it on and off the field!
My wife, Linda, and children, Samantha and Jack, look forward to settling into this community and sharing the excitement of Seahawks victories with you this fall at Qwest Field.
Sincerely,
Tim J. Ruskell
President of Football Operations
I can't thank you enough for posting that. I am so pumped. I can't wait to see Rams helmets laying all over the field. I can't wait to se my Seahawks in an NFC Championship game.
ReplyDeleteAbout the authenticity -- It has the ring of truth. Ruskell has said before that he's a believer in having a top quality front seven. Nothing in the letter is inconsistent with anything he has said before. Also, it has the well thought out language and sentence structure that a 'corporate' letter has.
You know what I really like? The acknowledgement of the teams' current weaknesses. Most candy-coated PR releases are devoid of that kind of candor. But Ruskell is grounded and communicates reality, which is a true building block of greatness, because you have to see the deficiencies in order to rectify them.
I think he's been pekin' in the windows here on HawkStreet. :)
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteAwwww crap! That's supposed to be peekin' not pekin'! Too early for a night owl like me.
ReplyDeleteyou want egg roll with your pekin' duck?
ReplyDelete