What should our expectations be?

The coffee mug can mean one thing...Caffeinated Sports is talking 'Hawks again.

As the Seahawks prepare for their final pre-season game, bring about a thankful end to the exhibition season, it is time for me to start caring about football.

The pre-season is nothing more than a way for the NFL to rip off its fans by charging full ticket price for a quarter of entertainment. Basically, pre-season is as if The Matrix used its special effects and CGI awesomeness for ten minutes and then did the rest of the movie in the style of South Park. Would you pay full price for that? I wouldn't and don't.

When I last cared about football, the Seahawks had lost the Super Bowl, ending the most magical season in team history. If you have the chance, look back at clips from some of those games. The win over Dallas, Jay Feeley missing three field goals, the two-point conversion stop in San Francisco. I still get chills looking at some of those games.

Continue reading after the jump, and please leave a comment at Caffeinated Sports.

Enjoy.

What, exactly, should our expectations be?

Brothers, Can You Spare a Dime?

OK, I know I'm a self-proclaimed feedback whore, but this is not a personal request for me, but more a collective request to make the Seahawks page on the new AOL sportsblog kick the snot out of all the other pages!

For anyone who hasn't been keeping up, Bloof and I, and Captain Caveman from the Kissing Suzy Kobler site are the team bloggers for the Seattle Seahawks on the AOL NFL Sports Blog.

If you click the main NFL page on the AOL blog, you'll notice there's a section for most commented on pieces. That's one of the only way to get your stuff "front page" exposure on this site. Which is where you all come in!

What we need is for everyone here to take a moment and drop a comment on the articles that we post over there on the Seahawks sub-site, so we can run up our comment numbers and put the other team pages to shame.

We could also use you to comment on the other NFC West team pages, and the pages of our other oppenents, and incite them to come and post over on our Seahawks page.

What's in it for you? Not much I guess, except the nice warm feeling you get extending the superiority of the Seahawk organization to yet another venue, and for helping out two of your own.

What do you say?

(to comment, click the green number to the right of the title above)

Reverse The Curse!

I remembering seeing a fan with a sign at the NFC Championship Game last year that was very creative and nearly prophetic. It read:

Reverse The Curse!
Red Sox - 2004
White Sox - 2005
SeaHox - 2006!

However, unlike the Boston Red Sox, who traded away Babe Ruth for No No Nanette, the 30-year drought from the Super Bowl experienced by the Seahawks was because they were bad, not because they were cursed. From bad drafts, to bad players, to bad owners, to bad coaches, and bad management, there was always a definitive reason why the Seahawks were the "lovable losers" of the Pacific Northwest, which certainly had nothing to do with being cursed.

Until now...

[Read Full Story]

Citizen K Likes This Award, 8/26/06

The Seahawks lost the crucial preseason matchup in San Diego. This proves beyond any doubt that they are ill fitted for another Super Bowl run, and will likely struggle to win even four games. Was there anything worth liking in this display of offensive non-clickiness?

Read the post to find out.


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Light Speed versus Lights Out!

OK, maybe I'm overselling the contest a little with this headline, but there IS a game on tonight, and it should prove to be the best match-up of the preseason.

GAMEDAY: Seahawks @ Chargers

ON THE AIR: NFL Network (Live) 11:00pm EST/8:00pm PST

ON THE NET: SeahawkBlue Game Day Chat

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Preseason Knockout Pool - Week 3

The preseason is half over, and there are still a bunch of contenders to be knocked out. Remember, this is just for practice, we'll start with a clean slate in September.

Click HERE for the original post with the full rules.

Provide your picks in the Comments section.

Even if you didn't play last week, you can play this week. This is only allowed during preseason as we're still playing for "funzies" - once the regular season starts, we're playing for "keepsies!"

Good luck!

(click picture for full size version)

CONTENDERS
Alan - COLTS over Saints
FOR: Broncos, Patriots, Colts
AGAINST: Lions, Cardinals, Saints

Alba - NY GIANTS over NY Jets
FOR: Seahawks, Bengals, Giants
AGAINST: Cowboys, Bills, Jets

b-man
FOR: NP, Patriots
AGAINST: NP, Cardinals

Bokonon -
FOR: Colts, Cowboys
AGAINST: Rams, Saints

DeepSeaHawk -
FOR: Seahawks, NP
AGAINST: Cowboys, NP

EW Hawk - SEAHAWKS over Chargers
FOR: Seahawks, Seahawks, Seahawks
AGAINST: Cowboys, Colts, Chargers

F12
FOR: NP, Redskins
AGAINST: NP, Jets

HawkCrazy -
FOR: Seahawks, NP
AGAINST: Cowboys, NP

JoSCh - EAGLES over Steelers
FOR: Buffalo, Seahawks, Eagles
AGAINST: Panthers, Colts, Steelers

LAXile - BEARS over Cardinals
FOR: NP, Broncos, Bears
AGAINST: NP, Titans, Cardinals

Mike -
FOR: Broncos, Eagles
AGAINST: Lions, Ravens



(to comment, click the green number to the right of the title above)

Hey AOL...You've Got MALE!

In a feable attempt to drive traffic to the AOL NFL Sports Blog "soft opening", and an overt attempt at shameless self promotion, I am hearby announcing my first post on a major commercial site, titled Great Expectations.

Please stop by, give it a read and let me know what you think.

EDIT: Made a second post last night!

I'd would have LIKED folks to leave comments on the AOL site, just to stroke the feedback whore at the new uptown apartment, but apparently that part of the site isn't done yet!

Feel free to leave comments here instead.

TWM: Head Coach Edition

(to add your own humorous or ironic caption to this picture,
click the green number to the right of the title above)

Another Colts Gameday.... (Yawn)

GAMEDAY: Seahawks @ Colts

ON THE AIR: NBC, 5pm PST

The last time these teams met, both teams rested starters. This time, both teams will rest starters. Wheee!

As it gets closer to gametime, be sure to visit SeahawksBlue.com and enter the gameday chat. You'll find that a snoozing preseason game will becomes an opportunity to exhange analysis of the young players deeper in the depth chart, and an excuse to crack a beer with other Seahawks fans.

Get the juices flowing: There are some interesting articles around the net this morning to get you primed.

Seahawks.com has their game preview. ESPN claims that RT Tom Ashworth is lost in the shuffle. Since Jerramy Stevens injured his knee, others are expected to step it up, and Ron Heller has something to give since the competition at TE has heated up. Isaiah Kacyvenski never, never gives up. And it's time for Chris Spencer to shine.

Have fun, and

GO SEAHAWKS!!!


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Preseason Knockout Pool - Week 2

What was always thought to be a statistical improbability has come to pass, EVERYONE got knocked out in the first week of the Preseason Knock Out pool, so by default, we all live to see another week. (or should that be weak?)

A clarification on the "Seahawk Kicker" Rule. While it is true that you can pick the Seahawks as often as you'd like, that's within the rule where you can't pick against the same team twice. So after the Seahawks defeat their NFC West opponents the first time, you cannot pick them in the rematch games.

Click HERE for the original post with the full rules.

Provide your picks in the Comments section.

Even if you didn't play last week, you can play this week. This is only allowed during preseason as we're still playing for "funzies" - once the regular season starts, we're playing for "keepsies!"

Good luck!

WEEK 2 WINNERS: LAXile, JoSCh, b-man, Alan, EW Hawk, alba

WEEK 2 KNOCKOUTS: Mike, F12

CONTENDERS
Alan -
FOR: Broncos, Patriots
AGAINST: Lions, Cardinals

Alba -
FOR: Seahawks, Bengals
AGAINST: Cowboys, Bills

b-man
FOR: NP, Patriots
AGAINST: NP, Cardinals

Bokonon -
FOR: Colts, Cowboys
AGAINST: Rams, Saints

DeepSeaHawk -
FOR: Seahawks, NP
AGAINST: Cowboys, NP

EW Hawk -
FOR: Seahawks, Seahawks
AGAINST: Cowboys, Colts

F12
FOR: NP, Redskins
AGAINST: NP, Jets

HawkCrazy -
FOR: Seahawks, NP
AGAINST: Cowboys, NP

JoSCh -
FOR: Buffalo, Seahawks
AGAINST: Panthers, Colts

LAXile
FOR: NP, Broncos
AGAINST: NP, Titans

Mike -
FOR: Broncos, Eagles
AGAINST: Lions, Ravens



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Fantasy Football Training Camp

On Sunday, I packed up my son and daughter, grabbed a couple of Sharpies for autographs, stepped into our time machine, and took a short trip to Seahawks Training Camp.

While I was certain I was standing just a few yards from my favorite football team, I have to admit that something just didn't seem right. The teams were split by colors, offense in white, defense in blue, but the blue didn't really seem to be the right shade, and some players seemed to be trying their hand at a new position on the other side of the ball.

I chalked this up to the heat, and the three-and-a-half hour drive home from Vermont that the family and I made that morning, and just decided to revel in the cornocopia of football unfolding before us.

The day started off with a pseudo-celebrity siting, seeing ESPN's Sal Palantonio in the VIP tent. I figured given his extensive experience covering the Eagles, he was here to follow up on both the Superbowl Runner Up and the Cowboy's Terrell Owens angles.

I was able to catch Lofa Tatupu standing with Isaiah Kacyvenski, and was surprised to see not only how much taller Lofa was than Kaz, but that he appeared to be wearing one of those old Simmons jerseys, that seemed to be altered by a dylexic tailor.

Showing off another facet of his multi-positional athleticism, Julian Peterson was one of the defesive players taking a turn in offesive backfield, and it appears that Mack Strong misspelled his favorite porn star's name on his jersey.

To even things off, Shaun Alexander not only donned a defensive blue jersey, but he took the opportunity to pay homage to down home roots, and displayed the position of his favorite domestic helper on the back. (hey, millionaires can't be expected to know the names of the hired help!) I was also able to get a close up of Shaun as he walked off the field.

I couldn't tell if they were undrafted free agents, or recent additions to the team, but a couple of kids were really impressive, even though they weren't practicing in full pads on this day.


The battle at quarterback was interesting to watch, and while I couldn't find Seneca Walace anywhere, they did have some journeyman QB in a #10 jersey. Of course, the highlights, and the most real experience of the day, was seeing good old #8 in his red "no touch" jersey, with the correct name proudly displayed on the back!

After practice, the crowds waiting for autographs were pretty thick, and so my kids only really got one, but they got the one that really mattered, the guy who sealed a significant victory for the seahawks at a critical point in the season, yes, the autograph they got was none other than Jay Ohferthreeley!

Having fully enjoyed this day at Cheney, I new that it was time get back to Albany, so I threw my camer case over my shoulder, put on my sunglasses and Mariners cap, and piled the kids into the time-machine, for the short trip home!


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The Good The Bad & The Ugly of The Hawks First Preseason Game

Well i saw the game on Saturday nad watched it again on NFLnetwork on Sunday this time without yelling at the television that you guys are killing me and analyzed the game. This is what i think was good, bad and ugly of the first game. This is ment to spark some real football discussion so agree, disagree, make points i missed and so on and so forth. So without gurther to do lets get this list started.

The Good

The 12th Man: I just had to list this first because thats what waas the most intriguing thing about the game. Even before the first play the Seattle fans were ready to go. Football season is back and Seattle fans know it and are ready. The noise was incredible and that was a preseason game, I can't imagine how loud they will get come the regular season and playoffs. Some false starts occured which I will credit to them even if they were'nt fully responsible for them. Good job Seattle fans you are the best and loudest in the NFL.

Maurice Mann: Man where did this kid come from. I never heard him in the discussion for battling for the wide reciever position but he did some good for his case. He had 4 receptions for 49 yards. Him and the QB's seemed to be clicking. Behind D-Jack, Burleson, Engram, Warrick, and Hacket this is my Mann for the job.

Mike Green: A very impressive debut or atleast I thought. Green always seemed to be around the ball and made some very nice open field tackles. I trust this guy to be very useful in the defense. He did everything right, only thing is i wish he would have tried to break up that TD catch even if it meant pass interference. makes you forget about a guy called Marquand Manuel.

Ryan Plackemeier: This was the best Seahawk player who took the field last Saturday. Plackemeier had 5 punts for 233 yard with an average of 46.6 yards. He had a long of 56 yards and 3 punts landed within the 20. Gus had great hangtime on all his punts and seemed to be fine holding the FG's. Alan you should be proud of your boy.

These are other players who fit into the category but didn't have enough time to write something about.

Honorable mentions: Hasselbeck, Tapp, Trufant, Peterson, Greene, Warrick, Davis, Burleson, Bend but don't break defense.

The Bad

Kelly Herndon: I know he only played a few snaps and he had a few good tackles but this guy looked lost on Saturday. Seriously there was more than one occasion where I was like what the hell is he doing and think he was thinking thew same thing. This is unacceptable from a veteran. Alba I am notjust picking on your boy but I do want to hear what you thought about this.

D-line: Other than Tapp on the starters and Davis on the backups I didn't like how they played. I know there were a lot of injuries on the line like Wistrom, Tubbs, Bernard but that wasn't too great of a performance. Romo did do a great job of moving around I will give them that but we have to do a better job of rushing the passer and stuffing the run.

Dishonorable mentions: Spencer, Weaver, everyone who isn't expected to make the team.

The Ugly

Penalties: What the hell happened here. Holmgren teams are very disciplined in the rules and thay were passing out penalties left and right on Saturday. They took a 3rd and 24 and made it into a 3rd and 9 which the Cowboys converted all on stupid penalties, and that was the starting defense. They would have never scored that TD if it weren't for penalties. Holmgren needs to hit them hard for these penalties they are unacceptable.

Backup O-line: For a team that has the best o-line our backups dissapointed me. They gave up 5 sacks for 37 yards, and couldn't open up any holes for the run game. Whats up with that. They didn't give Wallace enough time to throw a lot of times. I just didn't like how they played. Whats up with Ashworth he's a guy who has been to 3 superbowls and couldn't hold his ground against 2nd and 3rd stringers. He needs to get it together.

Final words are I just felt that the Cowboys wanted to win that game more than we did. I felt that the starters performed fine except for the penalties. The timing was off but that should become better as the preseason continues. I am not at all worried about anything. I hope you guys enjoyed and encourage you guys to comment and add on.

TWM Early edition

Sorry, couldn't wait til Tuesday on this one, it's just too friggin' good!



I mean for GAWDS sake, WTF is up with this?

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Just What The Doctor Ordered!

I haven't yet watched the replay of the first preseason game on my TiVo, and have just read a few snippets about it on-line, but from what little information I can gather about the opening loss suffered by the Seahawks, it's just what the doctor ordered!

com·pla·cent (km-plsnt) adj.
Contented to a fault; self-satisfied and unconcerned: He had become complacent after years of success.

Hopefully this drubbing at the hands of the Cowboys second stringers will knock the smug off the faces of any Seahawk still statisfied with what was accomplished last year, and get them refocused on the season at hand.

ar·ro·gant (r-gnt) adj.
Having or displaying a sense of overbearing self-worth or self-importance.
Marked by or arising from a feeling or assumption of one's superiority toward others: an arrogant contempt for the weak. See Synonyms at proud.

The missed assignments in camp, the lackluster performance in drills, and the other stuff that has Mount Holmgren ready to make St. Helens look like a 4th of July sparkler was evident in the mailed-in effort against a hungry Dallas squad looking to avenge a defeat snapped from the jaws of victory last season.

dis·trac·tion (d-strkshn) n.
A condition or state of mind in which the attention is diverted from an original focus or interest.

And while everyone else wants to talk about "curses", the true nemesis of this team is the newfound attention and time obligations for interviews, commercial spots and other media affairs.

pre·pare (pr-pâr) v. pre·pared, pre·par·ing, pre·pares
To make ready beforehand for a specific purpose, as for an event or occasion:
To put together or make by combining various elements or ingredients; manufacture or compound: prepared a meal; prepared the lecture.
To fit out; equip: prepared the ship for an arctic expedition.

Hopefully, losing, at home, in front of a near packed stadium will remind the 2006 version of the Seahawks what made the 2005 edition so special, which was a singular of focus, compulsion for preparation.

u·ni·ty (yn-t) n. pl. u·ni·ties
The state or quality of being one; singleness.
The state or quality of being in accord; harmony.

And while I don't think the team is that far off from where they need to be, they much acknowledge that there are a few replacement cogs in gears and wheels of this machine, so it may take a few test drives before all the kinks are worked out.

hun·gry (hnggr) adj. hun·gri·er, hun·gri·est
Extremely desirous; avid: hungry for recognition.
Characterized by or expressing hunger or craving:

And while the carryovers from the near championship team last season should still be left a little unsatisfied, being forces to leave the NFL End of the Year Banquet without gettind dessert, the new cogs should help feed that hunger and hopefully whip this team back into the myopic units of blazing efficiency on both sides of the ball again this season.

en·e·ma (n-m-ah) n. pl.
The injection of liquid into the rectum through the anus for cleansing, for stimulating evacuation of the bowels, or for other therapeutic or diagnostic purposes.

So while the Homeboys took the high-hard one this weekend from the Cowboys, much like a clinical enema, I hope it will clean out a lot of shit, and maybe a parasite or two in the process, and leave us feeling fresh, hungry, and ready to devour the next meal that we come across, like maybe a wounded Colt!

health·y (hlth) adj. health·i·er, health·i·est
Possessing good health.
Conducive to good health

And finally, in keeping with the medicinal theme of this post, while there may not have been much to cheer about ON the football field, there is reason for much rejoicing OFF of it, as in all our guys walked off under their own power, and no major injuries were sustained during this so-called "game". (knock wood!)


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Preseason Crickler

It's not only time for the NFL to start playing football games, but it's time for NFL fans to start playing Cricklers again!

For the uninitiated, Cricklers are an on-line word game that has been described as a "linear crossword puzzle", since the answers are interrelated, but not interconnected. The 12SS version of Cricklers are Seahawk related, and they're very addicting.

This first one deals with the Cowboys game, so don't be surprised if you find yourself looking longingly at your monitor thinking "Crickler, I can't quit you!"

So, just "crick" through on the link or the WordBird image above, and enjoy this preseason version of the 12 Seahawk Street Crickler!


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J.P. Darche Update

In honor of the training camp departure of Jean Phillipe's only competition, I've posted the 2006 Official Team Yearbook bio on my Adopt A Seahawk blog. Check it out:

http://12seahawksstreet-jeanphilippedarche.blogspot.com/

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To go or not to go

I don't pay much attention to the pre-season schedule, and usually figure out who the Seahawks are playing about a day or two before it happens. What can I say? I haven't switched over to "impulsive desire to know all" mode when it comes to the Seahawks.

As you may, or may not know, I'm stuck in Lambs country. And though I've wanted to join the Midwest's chapter of the Seahawkers for awhile (link was down, last I checked. Admittedly, this was a while ago) I'm basically a blue and bright green dot in an ocean of blue and "mentally tough" gold. For the record, no, those mentally tough jokes do not get old.

As I was writing a story about the Saint Louis Rams using blitzes to stop the Colts offense, something created a spark. Colts...offense...colts...prolific offense. I remembered writing those words. But where?

Then I remembered, I wrote a team-by-team smackdown of every team the Seahawks were playing, preseason and regular, in haiku, on the Seahawk Blue message board. Good times were had by all.

The point of all of this, is not for me to get props on my mad haiku writing skills. Seriously, I had a few beers and was entertaining myself. The point is this. The Seahawks are coming to Indianapolis on the 30th. They will be a scant four hours drive from me.

However, as close as it is (sure beats the four hour FLIGHT back home to catch them, which is quite costly) there are a few things that prevent this from being a sure fire invitation to Ticketmaster to charge me forty dollars for a twenty dollar ticket.

1) Its the pre-season. Should I really drive four hours to watch a game that will likely be decided by people whose next pro football stop will be on the Candyland Gingerbread Men of the IFLUSA? (Indoor Football League...USA I'm bad with acronyms)

2) Is it worth the four hour drive to watch the #1 offense and #2 defense for at most a quarter?

3) Is it worth 20 bucks?

And here's the kicker...

4) I've got school the very next day. I go to Southern Illinois University (Go Salukis) a fine institution. Is it worth what would amount to being eight hours of driving for all the things said above.

There are some positives, namely getting to see the Seahawks. And, even if its only for a few plays, I'd like to see Payton Manning in a non-clutch situation. You know, when he's at his best.

But, do those positives outweigh the drawbacks? I don't know, and so I figure I'd ask the Street.

I don't know if the overall consensus will be my overall decision, but who knows. We shall see.

Go Seahawks,

Alan


(PS: Next week, the NFC West Update will return. Oh yes, you should be excited. The pyramid is back.)

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Seahawks and NFC West preview on Sports Bloggers Live

My role at 12 Seahawks Street is pretty cut-and-dry: I'm the spoiled, out-of-control daughter. I never do any work around the house, I get bad grades, and I'm always hanging out with unsavory characters, coming home after curfew and raiding the fridge. But because I'm pretty and I have lots of friends, and because it would be more trouble than it's worth to make me pull my weight, people let me do my own thing.

Then I go and do something like appear on AOL's webcast/podcast "Sports Bloggers Live," on behalf of 12SS and Kissing Suzy Kolber, and the whole family puts off the intervention for a few weeks.

I got about three or four minutes after SI's Nunyo Demasio, who, as you may recall, was the sole SI "expert" to pick the Redskins over the 'Hawks this past January. You can listen to my stuttering and stammering in podcast form here. Much thanks to AOL's Jamie Mottram & Co for inviting me and helping me move the media spotlight out West for a couple minutes.


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Preseason...why? Revisited or Finding Allies in Weird Places

In one of my first posts, about a year ago, I stepped out of the Seahawk discussion to voice my dislike of the preseason. Now, I would let the topic die, but Jeremy shock is on my side. I don't know if that makes me feel better, but he makes some good points.

To paraphrase shock, training camp was invented in the days when athletes came into camp out of shape and needed to get there. The players NEEDED two-a-days. Those players also sold cars and insurance in the offseason.

Today's players make more than enough money, and work out year around. Players that come to camp out of shape are, still there, but not as abundant as they once were.

Now obviously, you need some sort of training camp to get players ready. But do we need as many two-a-days? Do we need four meaningless games?

Training camp and pre-season football only bring injuries and holdouts. Fan interest sways away from baseball and back to football, but it would no matter when camp opened.

In this age of instant replay and every game on TV, the league that is the most up-to-date with current trends is dragging its feet with how it prepares for the season.

Training camp can be shortened, teams can play two exhibition games, and the season can be 18 weeks long. Fewer players are invited to camp and coaches don't need the month and a half to look at prospects. If they truly did, what are spring and summer mini-camps for?

All pre-season does is fill the TO-hype machine and bring injuries (Dwight Freeney is the latest big name to drop, albeit with just a sore shoulder). Its outdated and unnecessary in its current form, and now its time for a change.



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Knockout Pool

With the preseason due to start for our beloved Seahawks this weekend, I thought it was a great time to resurrect the 12 Seahawks Street Knockout Pool.

Sometimes called Suicide Pools, this is where you pick one game per week, without the point spread, and see if you can be the last player standing, as others get knocked out of the pool.

There are three simple rules to follow, and I've added a specific Seahawk Kicker*:

1. Pick the outright winner of one game each week
2. You cannot pick FOR or AGAINST the same team again once you use a team
3. If your team wins, you pick again the following week, otherwise, you're KNOCKED OUT!

* SEAHAWK KICKER: You can pick FOR the Seahawks as many times as you'd like, but you cannot pick AGAINST them!

So for instance, if you pick the Seahawks to beat the Lions in Week 1, when the Seahawks win, you'll live to play the following week. However, you cannot pick AGAINST the Lions again for the rest of the season, but the Seahawk Kicker* will allow you to pick them again to beat the Cardinals in Week 2.

I figured we'd run this in preseason, to give everyone an idea how to play, then clear the slate when the regular season begins, and see how many weeks it takes to arrive at the Undisputed 12 Seahawks Street Knockout Pool Champion!

Your pick must be submitted the day before the game, and if you don't submit a pick for a week you will be DQed. To submit your pick, either post it in the Comments section, or email me at albanyhawker@seahawkblue.com. I will post the picks in the body of this topic, along with the teams used each week.

Good luck!

CONTENDERS
Alan - BRONCOS over Lions
FOR: Broncos
AGAINST: Lions

Alba - SEAHAWKS over Cowboys
FOR: Seahawks
AGAINST: Cowboys

Bokonon - COLTS over Rams
FOR: Colts
AGAINST: Rams

DeepSeaHawk - SEAHAWKS over Cowboys
FOR: Seahawks
AGAINST: Cowboys

EW Hawk - SEAHAWKS over Cowboys
FOR: Seahawks
AGAINST: Cowboys

JoSCh - BUFFALO over Panther
FOR: Buffalo
AGAINST: Panthers

HawkCrazy - SEAHAWKS over Cowboys
FOR: Seahawks
AGAINST: Cowboys

Mike - BRONCOS over Lions
FOR: Broncos
AGAINST: Lions



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Tuesdays with Morons

Our good friends at the Arizona Republic bring us this lovely snapshot of Cardinals camp.






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Punters holding kicks...its a good thing

Currently on the Gus the Mule sub-blog, I talk about why Ryan Plackemeier is the right choice as the holder for field goals, and not Seneca Wallace.

Check it out!

Gus the Mule

More Monday Must-Reads: Jennings strains groin

It sounds minimal, but First round pick Kelly Jennings strained his groin today during drills. Then again, maybe it's severe - after all, his groin is probably half his body weight.

In any case, he expects to return to practice tomorrow. The AP has a nifty article on Jennings and the fresh dose if respect he brings to the Miami Hurricanes' amulni.

Other items: Julian Peterson is a friggin' stud, and he says he's back to full speed for the first time since his achilles injury... Mike Sando wants to meet you back at his hotel room... Pork Chop smells old people... Niko Koutouvides ran over one...

In case you missed it: "DE Darryl Tapp sped past LT Walter Jones for a would-be sack and drew cheers from onlookers."

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Yakety-Yak, Let's Talk Smack!

As we prepare ourselves for the first official contest of the 2006 season, albeit a meaningless preseason game, it's time to unveil the New and Improved GameDay Chat feature, brought to you in conjunction with our friends over at SeahawkBlue!

Click the picture or GameDay Chat link to access the new vehicle we'll be using this season. You will need to click the Register button and create an account with your screen name and password. This will help weed out any trolls that may find their way into our game day conversations.

Once you're registered, you can click around in the Chat and check out some of the new features, such as being able to customize your text color, illustrating your chat with a variety of Graphical and Audio emoticons (be sure to check out the custom audio clips, such as *apples* and *ready*), and either Dock or Float the chat box over an existing application (like the NFL GameCenter window).

Several people are planning on taking this on the initial test drive during the Seahawk-Cowboys pre-season game this Saturday, so if you're watching the game and around your computer, log on and join the chat!

Feel free to post any questions or issues you have with the new Chat Feature in the Comments section of this topic, and we'll see if we can get them resolved prior to kickoff!

To quote an over used phrase, from a musician I dispise,

"ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL??!!!"


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Must-Read Roundup: Jones Improving?

Walter Jones is sprouting some gray hairs, but 'Big Walt' is like a fine wine.

Dave Boling argues that Seneca Wallace is playing the right position. More is expected from Peter Warrick this season. Defensive Coordinator John Marshall reveals how he is going to use the linebackers . Look out, Matt! Gilbran Hamdan intends to be a successful NFL starting quarterback. Mike Holmgren gets on the tight ends' case. Robbie Tobeck won't go away.

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AAS Update - Julian Peterson

The colors are a little off right now, but I already have made 3 quick posts about JPete. I made a small intro, and have links to two different articles about him fitting in with the rest of the Seahawks. I will try to tighten them up this weekend, so hopefully by Monday everything on the sub-blog should look as good as the Street.

I would like to thank alba and the rest of the crew for giving me the opportunity to do this fun little project.

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Alan's Drive of the Year

A few weeks ago, the brains behind this amazing blog had an idea. I believe I'm the first to do this, so I'll explain the whole deal.

During the season, the contributors here give out weekly awards to players to congratulate them on a job well done. There was a lot of good times this past year, and its a lot of fun reading the awards. Especially after a win. I literally check this site ten times a day on Mondays during the season.

My award is a bit different. I give out the award of Drive of the Game. It is what it sounds like. Its the offensive drive I deem the most important. Its game changing, its an important score, it was just fun to watch.

The trophy to the left is called the Extremely Corny Bronze Racecar, which was the consensus name given to the trophy.

So, a week ago, I got an e-mail from the admins of the site that says there are some new guys to the site, so maybe we could run some contributor awards. And since its been awhile since ECBR has graced this fine page, I'll oblige.

Here we go...The 2006 Seahawks Drive of the Year.

The essentials:
First scoring drive against Green Bay
10 plays, 69 yards, 5:05
Result: Shaun Alexander, 1 yard touchdown. 7-6 SEAHAWKS.

Why its the DOY:
This was THE touchdown, which is featured on not one, but two, of the rotating mastheads here at the Street. Its the record setting score for Shaun, and the one that gave him the NFL MVP and probably the reason why he graced the cover of Madden 07.

Granted, there were more important drives this season. Perhaps the late drive to tie the Cowboys at 10 before Josh Brown came up huge. Maybe you'd prefer one of the scores in the playoffs. I could even hear a great debate from the game winning scores from our road games at Tennessee and San Francisco.

But, an NFL record is simply to good to pass up. We don't get these very often here in Seattle.

We all know about Shaun's incredible season, and we're hoping he has another one. I don't want to get all poetic on you guys for what he did, but simply give him one more ECBR for his efforts in 2006.

Besides, he's held so many DOGs (Drive of the Games) during the season, he almost had to win the DOY.

There is a sub-blog for the DOG. You can find it at...

http://12seahawksstreet-dog.blogspot.com

For those of you that are new, welcome to the Street.

Click the player to watch the DOY.

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Adopt-A-Seahawk Registry

Below is an index to the Adopt-A-Seahawk sub-blogs that are under construction by our newly adoptive contributors. Click the player's name to view the AAS sub-blog, and then leave a comment to congratulate the new parents, and our most recent slate of Contributors.

Nate Burleson adopted on July 27th by Hawkgal

Julian Peterson adopted on July 28th by Mike

Ryan Plackmier adopted on July 28th by Alan

Kelly Jennings on July 30th by meezy

J.P. Darche adopted on July 31st by Pitchin from PDX

To adopt your very own Seahawk player, just click the link below to find out more, then claim them by sending an email to albanyhawker@seahawkblue.com

About the Adopt-A-Seahawk Program

Spencer Ready; Holmgren Dismissive

Robbie Tobeck better no get so much as a hangnail, because Chris Spencer is ready to become a dominator:

"On one particular day of drills, it was quite apparent how far Spencer has come. Russell Davis, the 6-4, 306-pound defensive end exploded into Tobeck, flattening him. Next up was Spencer, who stood Davis straight up. On the next rep, Spencer did the same to Chuck Darby. Those may only be drills, and yet they are indications of his quickness, power, and potential as a dominating blocker."

Earlier today, Mike Sando reported that Holmgren kicked everyone off the practice field, presumably because of a poor practice session. It was later reported that afternoon practice was "improved". Later, Tim Ruskell tempered the reports with his explanation:

“It wasn’t good practice this afternoon, but it wasn’t like it was terrible this morning, There were certain things he wanted to get done, when you want to be a champion, you have to practice like a champion. He has expectations for them. They have expectations for themselves. You never want to dip below that and think you’re not meeting those expectations... If you allow that to happen, then you slip into habits that won’t take you through a season at that high level - especially how tough this season promises to be.”

At least he didn't take them to the water park.

Other stuff: Shaun Alexander shares scriptures instead of autographs. Mack Strong says the "days of heavy lifting and running seven miles are over." Matt Hasselbeck captures a blogger.

Tomorrow: Scrimmage, dudes!
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Around the League; New Gayest Thing Ever

There's some goofy stuff going on in training camps around the league. Aparrently Julius Peppers is a softie that needs his accomodations. Cardinals Insider is a little slow getting their news out.

But stop the presses! We have a new Gayest Thing Ever, and the award goes to... the St. Louis Rams.

New head coach Scott Linehan loaded the entire team on buses yesterday and let them "splish and splash" in a local water park.

"It was therapy for the mind to go get into the pool a little bit, and it's also good for the legs to get into the water," Linehan said.

GAA~AAAYYY!!!

But wait: You know with me, IT ALWAYS GETS WORSE.

"That was interesting seeing that human chain going down the slide," Linehan said. "I was a little nervous making sure that they didn't pile (on) each other, making sure they came up."

This is the new NFL's Gayest Thing Ever, replacing the Arizona Cardinals' fashion show debacle for the #1 spot.

What is wrong with the NFC West? The Niners look downright rugged when lined up against these teams.

Here's to six more division wins!

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Day Six Updates: Jackson needs more time

It's a lighter day of practice today. Yesterday, coaches surprised the team by introducing tackling into practice, instead of waiting until Saturday's scrimmage. Today, linemen took a break from thumping and QB's rested their arms as special teams practice dominated the afternoon.

Darryl Jackson is now expected to not return until late August. Mack Strong shows a knack for TV work. Seahawks.NET produces and almost readable article on Ray Rhodes. Gibran Hamdan has some serious challenges on & off the field. The NFL's best referee ran a tired subject into the ground.

And I'm awarding 50 points to whomever can tell me what the &$#$ is in this picture.

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My blood runs cold. My memory has just been sold.

[Cue J. Geils Band]

She was pure like snowflakes, no one could ever stain. The memory of my Amber could never cause me pain. Years go by I'm lookin' through a girly magazine, and there's my Seagal Amber on the pages in-between!


My blood runs cold. My memory has just been sold. My Amber is the centerfold! Amber is the centerfold!

Na, na, nananananna, nananannnana, nananannanaaaaaaaaaaa.....

[J. Geils band - SHUT UP!]

Say it isn't so!!!

The Seattle PI reports that former Seagal eye candy Amber Lancaster has not only moved on (dammit), but she is making a success of things.

It's enough to break your heart. But at least she's true to her team:

"Most recently, I was the national spokesmodel for Makita Power Tools (Miss Makita '05), I was one of the top 5 winners in Maxim's Hometown Hotties Contest '04, I was an NFL Cheerleader for the Seattle Seahawks -- and no, I don't want to talk about the Superbowl :(........I was Miss Hawaiian Tropic USA and Miss Washington Teen USA."

Also, regarding some work she will be doing for Maxim, interviewing Quarterbacks in Pittsburgh:

""Of all places," Amber said of Pittsburgh, still seething over last year's Super Bowl. "I'll spit on the field when I get there.""

Now that's a lady I can admire, inside & out. Possible ring of honor candidate? Maybe. Let just wait and see if there are any nude scenes in her up-and-coming movie roles.

I still love you, Amber. PLEASE COME BACK...

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