Madden Curse Gets Shoved

It seems weird, but does anyone else get the feeling that Shaun Alexander's 40 carry, 201 yard performance is being overlooked?

The reigning MVP absolutely tees off on the Green Bay defense and the main topic of discussion has been on whether or not Jerramy Stevens can catch a football or not. To me, this makes no sense what so ever. One of the best players to don the Seahawk uniform announces to the league that he's ready to go, possibly adding "Come get some" and we talk about Stevens (who, if I may go old school, is a lucky hooker....he doesn't catch anything. Please tell me you got that reference to last year)

As I thought about this game, does this shut up those yuppies that seemed overjoyed that their beloved "Madden Curse" would carry on for one more year.

**We interrupt this column for a quick rant about "curses"**

Curses do not exist in sports, or anywhere else for that matter. Why do Super Bowl losers not make it back? Injuries, mostly. Its not some voodoo curse. Why have the Cubs not won a World Series in 100 years. Some tin-can eating goat? No, its called fielding a terrible team for 100 years. Why do Madden cover boys go down? Its a physical game, injuries happen. There is no black magic coming out of the EA Sports laboratory. So please, for your own sake, please stop believing in curses.

**Resume not as angry portion of column**

When the player gracing the cover of Madden goes down, SportsCenter barely has enough time to sweep the confetti off the anchor desk before air time. For at least the past three seasons, the demise of these players has been the most anticipated story of the year.

As you might tell, this annoys me just a bit.

So, Shaun goes down with a broken foot, struggles before that, and it seems like the "curse" lives on for another year.

Then Monday night happened. And, I have to ask those who believe that Trip Hawkins is dripping sheep's blood on a #37 jersey, does this one game change your perspective? Perhaps if he'd scored a touchdown it would seem more jinx breaking, but Alexander's performance seems like a good way to start.

For a night, he was himself again. He was the MVP we remember, and its impact was immediately noticeable. And if he can put up these numbers again for the remainder of the season, I think we can finally bury the Madden Curse once and for all.

And then salt the Earth so that it never comes back again.
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Knockout Pool: Week 13

Holy Hannah! There's a Game Tomorrow Night!

Of course, anyone with NFL Network has been getting those "Run To The Playoffs" commercials shoved down our throats since April, so it's really not surprising news afterall. I've just been very busy at work and since I got knocked out, this post hasn't been my number one priority!! I promise I'll update the Contenders and Picks link this week though.

All three remaining contestants survived last week, although I'm sure CalFan was a little nervous during the first 30 minutes of the MNF game.

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 Contenders link, along with the teams used each week.

Good luck!

This Week's Matchups

Contenders and Picks

Official Knock Out Pool Rules

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Ka-Jay-Goo-Goo

In light of the recent steroid debate heating up again thanks to Mark McGwire having the nerve to have his name on the Hall Of Fame ballot, and with our old rival meeting up with us once again...I find it fitting to introduce you to two big figures. One literally.

Meet Jay Cutler:

Yes, that, believe it or not, is the most famous of the Jay Cutlers.

Hes got pecks. Hes got arms. Hes got a good hair cut. Hes clearly not shy. But hes not Joe Tafoya. Or his twin brother, Craig Terrill.


Meet Jay Cutler Number Douche...Oops, I Mean Deuce:


Hes getting picks. Hes got two arms...ughhh ok not so much compared to the other guy. And his haircut is as uneven as Dennis Rodman. He may be a little shy cause he clearly hasn't gotten out enough to know that his haircut went out of style after Mo Howard retired from the Three Stooges. I couldn't look at him eye to eye...I know that much.

The former Jay I cant provide depth on. But with that physique you'd have to guess that there is some space to rent between his ears.

The latter Jay is someone who could be decent in his career. He has very good accuracy. His arm strength is enough for him to survive. Hes a very good thinker in the pocket. He has the leadership abilities and the confidence to have players feed off him. Hes tough and athletic. And has a good pocket presence. You must wonder why his college team sucked so much. Can he win in the big leagues?

The biggest problem for him standing in his way is the pressure of the playoff race, while running into a team that is poised to reclaim its throne.

Somewhere, in the great Northwest, someone is breathing heavy. Someone is out for blood. Someone wants him to fear them. The Seahawks. Are the Seahawks finally ready? Or was the last game part of the inconsistency? My thoughts are that this team is ready. Noone knew when they would come back. They were forgotten in the middle of the new powers rising. Does Denver know what they are getting into?

Hush hush.

Jay Cutler, meet the Seahawks---eye to eye.





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Jerramy Stevens: Ready to Breakout or About to Bust?

I'm not the biggest Jerramy Stevens fan. I got the impression while he was in college that he might be one of those players who always leaves you wanting a little more. I felt Stevens and Seattle would have been better off without each other given his reputation, rap sheet, and the demands of the position in Holmgren's version of the West Coast offense...

See the rest on Page Two

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Matt Hasselbeck Meets Old Man Winter

Oh My God! This was War! In the first quarter Matt was 2004, unsure and inexperienced. In the second quarter, Matt was 2002. Matt has 9 interceptions this season. Not bad considering that the team record is 7-up and 4 down. Thru 11 games Cool Hand Luke has 9 picks. Could be worse. But then again, Matt had only nine thieves cashing in on his ill-gotten bootie though out all of last season, including the Playoffs and the Superbowl. Matt threw more picks last night than the chain gang working on the Rail Road in 1864.

Ok, Ok. So I’m being a bit hard on Mathew. He has after all, given Seattle it’s only Superbowl birth in Franchise history. You’d figure that I would cut him a little slack.

Sorry Matt, that’s the price you pay for tea in China. That’s because you have raised my expectations as a Seahawks fan and for that I thank you. Before you arrived, all we had was Dave Krieg and a couple of really great playoff years. Now we accept nothing less than excellence.

Enter Old Man Winter. He was your Mentor. He showed you what NFL tough was really about. Though you only played under his Tutelage for a meger three years, you and your coach, were wisked away into the Seattle Abyss to start a new Quest. (<---noted)

Mike Holmgren has now been a coach in Seattle longer than he was a coach for the Pack. I didn’t realize that it has been that long.

Bret Farve entered the game as the Lion on the hill. Old Man Winter has played in 16 stadiums that no longer exist, this was his Quest Field debut and it looked for all intensive purposes that he would own this one too. He showed his student that tough still throws laser passes after 13 years as well as long bombs that connect to Donald Driver After the student popped up two picks in his first two possessions. Before we knew it, 12 seconds passed and the Master had racked up yet another TD in his storied career. It wasn’t looking good for Hass. What it was looking like was that the master was going to school the Lamb convincingly. Only there was one small problem, make that two big problems. Mike wasn’t about to let his new student lose to the old student.

Make that his new steam roller. Matt found his Gonya, and rode the Coat tails of Alexander The Great, who took it upon himself to gallop to a Paultry 200 and one of I still love you Shaun, yards. Alexander put this game on his shoulders and Matt followed suit. DJ Hackett fired the first spark late in the first half and Holmgrens half time pep talk fired up the Hawk offense that we have waited the entire season to see. Little did we notice that the Seattle defense refused to not only give up yards, but they refused to give up points thru the third quarter. Had it not been for a few errand passes from our humble leader, the Green bay Packers would have likely put up a mere 10 points in the Monday Night Malay.

Tho I have not been an avid supporter of Jeramy Stevens, I think a record crowd of 68,000 people need to get off his back. All of you fools that are booing him for last nights efforts need to take a reality check. You try taking the shots that he took, like a knee to the ribs at 30 mph in the back and hang on to the damned ball. Go ahead, try it. I'll wait...Tick tock....Thats what I thought.

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Alan's D.O.G.: Week 12 vs Green Bay

It was a tale of two halves, and in the second half, Matt Hasselbeck showed his mentor why he's an elite quarterback in the league. In this week's episode we discuss what a bit of confidence can do for you, attack a marching band, and hand out a D.O.G.

Just not to Jerramy Stevens, because he'd drop it...

or would he?

Find out here.
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Week 12: Seahawks 34, Packers 24 - Matt's Back ... in the Snow!

Matt Hasselbeck played his first game in five weeks, and led the Seahawks to a 34-24 win over the Green Bay Packers on Monday Night Football. He was rusty, as I'm sure people expected, only throwing for 157 yards and 3 INTs, but he also had 3 TD passes.

Shaun Alexander was THE MAN tonight, running for 201 yards. Unfortunately he didn't get into the endzone, but he carried the offense down to the red zone, and let Hasselbeck, D. J. Hackett, D-Jack, Jerramy Stevens, and Josh Brown score the points.

Since I work nights, I wasn't able to watch the game, so once again I will have to rely on the commentors' excellent analysis. But at least the 'Hawks have a two game lead again in the division, as it should be.

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Keys to the game? How about key to the SEASON

Looking at the outcome of some of yesterday's games, there is still a glimmer of hope to the Seahawks earning HFA in the playoffs. With the Bears taking a boot to the head, the Rams and 49ers taking turns knocking each other out of the NFC West hunt, the Holy Grail of home field is still within reach, provided that Seattle can finally get a run together.

Which takes us to tonights game vs. the inglorious cheeseheads - at first glance, there are the usual overplayed storylines of Holmgren, Farve, Hasselbeck, and whatever the hell else, other than football, that the media likes to talk about. But the real story today is that this season is at a critical juncture for the Seahawks.

Hasselbeck and Alexander are playing together (supposedly healthy) for the just second time this season. We all know what an accomplishement it is to be 7-4 in their absence, but the question still remains:

Will they be that good when they return?

In my opinion, much of the outcome of this season rides, not so much on the arm of Matt Hasselbeck, but on the rusty shoulders of Shaun Alexander.

Think back at the last few games, with Seneca Wallace at the helm. Think about a play where he scrambled out of the pocket in sheer athletic brilliance. Now picture that same play with a definitly less mobile, and slighly injured Hasselbeck. In your mind's eye, do you see what I see? I see a sack, dammit. Not to mention a stalled drive.

Bottom line: Shaun needs to step it up. He needs to be a threat to the opponent's defense, to take the pressure of of Hasselbeck. He also needs to do it to take the pressure off the Seahawks' defense, which plays much better with a lead. Without him, this offense is average, this defense is impotent.

Bring it, Shaun. Make your contract money sing. Put yourself in the ring of honor, not the pit of despair.


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Don't Overlook Good Fortune

There's an old joke about a southern pastor who decided to test his faith when the river overflowed its banks. As the flood waters were rising, a pickup truck drove by the church and the driver called in "Hey father, hop in the back and I'll drive you to safety." To which the preacher replied, "No thank you son, my faith in the Lord will save me."

The waters kept rising and the preacher went to the second floor to seek refuge. Just then a row boat came by and the guy in the boat yelled, "swim on over father, I'll take you to safety." And again the preacher declined, replying "my faith in the Lord will save me."

The water kept rising and the preacher now found himself on the roof of the chapel. Just then, a helicopter swooped by and let down a rope ladder, and the pilot's voice came over the loud speaker, "father, grab the ladder and we'll take you to safety." Steadfast in his beliefs, the preacher declined for the third time, professing "my faith in the Lord will save me."

Sure enough, the waters kept rising and the poor preacher was swept away and drowned.

To say he was a little bit steamed when he reached the gates of heaven would be a bit of an understatement. When he finally got his audience with St. Peter, he vented, "I devoted my whole life to my faith and service to the Lord, and on the ONE day that I needed you, you abandoned me!"

To which St. Peter replied, "What more do you want? We sent the truck, we sent the boat and we sent the helicopter!!!"

Why do I post this story on the blog today? Because with the events of Sunday, I hope the Seahawks don't overlook the same good fortune provided to them by the likes of the Rams, Redskins, Titans and Patriots.

The Rams kept San Francisco at bay, protecting the Seahawks lead in the division. The Redskins and Titans surprised the Panthers and Giants, respectively, taking care of other close NFC competition. And the Patriots delivered another loss to the slumping Bears, making NFC home field advantage a race again.

Tonight the Seahawks have a chance to help their own cause by beating the Packers, at home, in front of a national audience. Let's hope they acknowledge the signs and take full advantage of the opportunity!


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Fear No Team Starts Tonight

A common phrase thrown around on various message boards is "Fear No Team". For Seahawk fans, to use this phrase in ernest is kind of weird. Those you that built that fan schooner that some people are currently jumping off of
don't have to to think back to far to the days when we more or less feared everybody.

Suddenly, we get a championship caliber coach, a high tempo offense, and a defense that can actually play and all of a sudden the expectations go up. Add in the Super Bowl run, and Fear No Team literally means "Fear No Team".

At the beginning of the season, it was still weird to look at the schedule and think twelve, thirteen wins were not out of the question. Granted, thats no longer a possibility. Injuries and inconsistant play have made this season gone down a path no one thought it would (except for maybe realist, but no one really pays attention to him).

But, as we sit at 6-4, the Fear No Team mentality should still be there. And it starts tonight against Green Bay.

"We have nothing to fear!" you're surely muttering right now. Of course, you probably said that last week against the 49ers. We shouldn't have anything to fear, but as they say, this is why you play the game.

But, Matt's back, Shaun's back, the 12th Man's back, and Fear No Team can be back with a dominating preformance over the Pack. If the offense can click against Green Bay and the defense can get the job done, this game can be a spring board into the home streatch of the season.

If the Seahawks click tonight, if they find "it", that elusive ingrediant that was in so many of last season's games, they can make a statement. A dominating win would say to the rest of the up for grabs NFC, the road to Miami still runs through us. The theme this Sunday was how mediocre the conference is. The Bears are turnover prone, no one want to win the South, the Giants aren't good, and sure Tony Roma's good now, but what about the playoffs?

Not that the Seahawks are without problems, but a big win tonight puts the NFC on notice: we're still here to play, come get some. Let's get that swagger back tonight.

Look at the schedule, why should we fear San Diego or Denver? Why should we fear the Bears in the playoffs? Why should we fear anyone?

If we take care of business, we won't have to fear anyone. But it all starts tonight.

FEAR NO TEAM.

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Here's To Getting Old Friends Back!

As I look forward to the Monday Night Football game this week, I can help but get excited about all the old names and faces that are making their way back into the starting line up.

Seeing Shaun return to action last week, even in a losing effort, is reason enough to be thankful. However, getting our field general back in action, under the national spotlight, against a pseudo-rival is HUGE! "We want the ball and we're going to score" can be paraphrased to "We've got our starters and we're going to win!"

And speaking of starters, where the hell have all the regular contributors to the Street disappeared to? With apologies to Mike and ADP and others who have been sustaining this site this season, I miss the "old neighborhood gang" from last season.

Bloof, JoSCh, Alan, CitK and even check have made cameo appearances, but it's nothing like the constant banter that we had last year. Monkey is just M.I.A. and I'm ashamed to admit how much I miss his rants. There are 23 contributors listed in the lower left section of the front page, but only a handful have shared more than few topics on this site since the beginning of the season.

I know my interest has been fragmented by my Seahawks Fanhouse gig, but I still try to make a few exlusive posts this site to keep it active. Should we be actively solicting new contributors from other fan forums? Should we send out the search dogs to find our old "regulars?" Or should we just phase out the Street?

I'd like to know how others feel.

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Will Jerramy Stevens Ever Be Great?

Thanks to Joey Porter during Super Bowl week, and a knee to his groin during the MNF game with the Raiders, the whole world knows who Jerramy Stevens is. Too bad none of it has to do with his skills as a tight end.

And since I'm one of his sole defenders on the various Seahawks fan boards, allow me to introduce him to you. Jerramy Stevens is the incredibly tall, deceptively fast, under-achieving starting tight end for the Seattle Seahawks with a checkered past and an unknown future.

Listed as 6-7 265, he's bigger than most NFL tight ends, and when he's on his game, he shows signs of being one of the best. However, since dropping several key passes in the Super Bowl, and missing the first 6 games this season due to injury, the flashes of brilliance have been few and far between.

[Continued at Seahawks Fanhouse]


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Knockout Pool: Week 12

Thanks to the Titans knocking out Donovan McNabb and the Eagles, all but three contenders were knocked out of the pool in Week 11.

Remember to get your picks in before game time if you want to pick a Turkey Day matchup. And in the spirit of the holiday, as you're enjoying this week's boxing-chick picture, conjuring mental images of things to be thanking her for, save some gratitude for TheBigO, who provided the jpg for this week.

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 Contenders link, along with the teams used each week.

Good luck!

This Week's Matchups

Contenders and Picks

Official Knock Out Pool Rules

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Week 11: 49ers 20, Seahawks 14 - Does Anyone Know How to TACKLE????

Once again, the Seahawks decided not to show up to a road game, losing to the Niners, 20-14. The D couldn't stop 49ers RB Frank Gore, who rushed for 212 yards.


The offense couldn't get a running game going, only gaining 70 yards on the ground. Senaca Wallace threw for 252 yards and 2 TDs, but also threw 3 picks. The 'Hawks had five turnovers total, and the Niners took advantage of them, scoring 13 points off of TOs.

I quit watching the game halfway through the second quarter. After seeing all the sloppy play, I had a bad feeling about the game, so I turned off the TV. I decided to beat the 49ers playing Madden 07 on my PC instead.

Oh well, at least the Lambs lost too. And I am going to say, the NFL should require head coaches to wear suits on the sidelines.

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Ten Random Thoughts on Seattle at San Franciso

Approximate reading time: 1:00.

Go!

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Some Things in Life Ain't Fair

I don't know if you noticed, but Julian Peterson has a few things going for him.

• Freaky muscles and stuff
• Lower body fat than most third world starving people
• Millions and millions and millions of dollars
• A game for a job
• A bikini-laden chick for each day of the week
• Just the right amount of chest hair
• The opportunity to beat up on his old team this week

But there is one thing he doesn't have -- His old college number.

This preseason he hoped quite a bit. Since league rules make allowances for swelled training camp rosters, they will tolerate linebackers playing with numbers outside of the normally perscribed range of 50-59 and 90-99. So naturally, Peterson donned his No. 44 jersey while he could, and maybe, just maybe, the league might allow him to keep it, since he is capable of playing nearly every defensive position on the field.

Well, when the regular season started, we all can see what happened. The poor tortured soul had to settle for No. 59. It's true, when I look at the guy play, I say the number doesn't suit him, it's much too plain-Jane. But all the cool ones were taken, and to his credit, he didn't put up a fuss when the hammer came down from the league office.

Enter rookie LB Lance Laury. Click the link for yourself. Julian Peterson doesn't have everything.


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Alan's D.O.G. vs Saint Louis

Hey remember when I did this all the time? Weren't those days awesome? Relive the good old days when we handed out Extremely Corny Bronze Racecar's like nobodie's business. I'm so happy to be back, I give out some ribbons as well.

See what all the fuss is about over at Alan's Drive of the Game.

Plack Report will be coming soon as well.



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Knockout Pool: Week 11

The Giants not only missed an opportunity to improve the Seahawk's bid for HFA, they knocked out poor F-12 in the process. The Jags and apathy took care of five other contenders, so we're now down to the Elite 8.

Remember that if you have picked against the 49ers in Round Two (like I have) you may not select the Seahawks this week.

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 Contenders link, along with the teams used each week.

Good luck!

This Week's Matchups

Contenders and Picks

Official Knock Out Pool Rules

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Alba's Dark Angel Award: Week 10

This is the first live, on-site edition of Alba's Dark Angel Award, having enjoyed the game in person this Sunday. As as a tribute to the gaggle of seahawks fans from across North America, and England, that assembled for the game as part of the SeahawkBlue.com gathering, I'll be handing out an honorary Dark Angel Award this week to someone outside the Seahawks organization.

But first, to the game.

And what a game it was. As much as I would have liked to have warm weather and clear blue skies, since it was my first Seahawks home game experience at Qwest Field, I guess it's only appropriate that it be on a cloudy day with steady rain. Dark and omninous weather brought to you by the Angel of all angels! On the field, it seemed like every player on the 53 man roster eligible for this award, given to the player who steps up, or out of obscurity, to have a profound impack on the outcome of the game, was trying to out maneuvre each oher to come away with this week's trophy.

[Continued on Dark Angel Sub-Blog]
(not AOL Fanhouse!)



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It's Tuesday Moron's

OK, Why is that Cheerleader so damned happy to see him fire that football out his Ass? Is it because that could be what it feels like to give birth?


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Bonus Game Pics

Thanks for the inspiration, Mike!








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What I Learned... From Scraping the Lambs Off My Shoe Today

Holy cow.

With a host of unlikely heroes at this point in the season Seneca Wallace, Mo Morris, Nate Burelson, and Chuck Darby - the Seahawks walk away from this one with with hands in the air.

But what did I learn?

1. Josh Brown is now getting bored with game winning field goals.
2. Seneca "One-Half" Wallace needs a halftime nap if he's ever going to be productive after the 2nd quarter.
3. You can trick everybody if you don't call a fair catch when everyone is expecting it.
4. Bob Casullo owes Nate Burelson dinner.
5. Seneca passed for a 114.6 QB efficiency rating - and he's going to the bench.
6. The Seahawks defense is very much returning to it's bend-but-don't-break ways of 2005.
7. The DB's did a great job in clutch situations, not allowing an open receiver, even when the pass rush hung them out to dry.
8. The three-and-outs have got to stop, they're putting too much pressure on the defense.
9. This team is 6-3 by pure heart.
10. When Shaun and Matt come back--together--I'm going to be a giddy schoolgirl.
11. Did Tobeck just lose his starting job?
12. Walter Jones is finally starting to feel better, it appears.
13. NO DEEP BALLS OVER BOULWARE'S HEAD!!!
14. Bob Casullo didn't have anything bad happen to his unit this week - is that possible?
15. The Lambs have a crappy gameday coach in Linehan. He couldn't be more confused if he dated a girl with four vaginas.

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Seahawks 24, Rams 22

What a game. Seahawks win on a lot of strange stuff, including a ST PR from Nate Burleson. Thanks to Incognito for going, well, incognito and helping us out on a 15 yard penalty to set up a nice kick return. The Rams made me scratch my head as they went for it on 4th down twice in field goal range---one was 4th and 5---and failed both times. Thanks to a little luck, a lot of our backup clutch skills, and the Rams pure stupidity, we're well on our way to the playoffs, in SPITE of injuries.

Chris Spencer played at C with Tobeck out, and played phenomenal. DJack was awesome. Hackett was clutch. Branch was solid. Mo Morris was awesome. Seneca did great outside the two fumbles. Our defense was back to bend and dont break, and came up big every time it needed to, save the final Rams DRIVE. Placke sucked. Scoobs was horrible save for his big tackle to end the game. Our special teams weren't helping, but in the end, they saved the day. Josh Brown hit the clutch game winner from 38 yards out. This leads one question:

At what cost. We lost Mo Morris in the final seconds of the game to what appeared to be an arm injury. Orlando Pace tore his biceps, and should be done for the year. Travis Fisher went down again. Only two guys on our final injury list played in the game---Babs and Burles. Tubbs was put on IR. DD Lewis might soon follow. Hopefully next week, we'll be much healthier. We're 6-3 with several guys on IR or inactive from injuries...and with a TON of guys playing while injured. Wait until we get healthy. Endure the bad to reap the sweetest rewards. :).




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BAM. BAM. BAM.

To steal a line from a rapper I never really liked..."now some of y'all know me, and some of yall, don't. So let me clear my throat."

I know, I know, I have been nothing short of a ghost of late, but that's life. For some reason, I don't think I've quite kicked the XL hangover from last season, and this year has has some feeling of unreality to it for me. On top of that, my "This One's on Check' award has been all but abondoned as I've had a personal paradigm shift which I believe is leading me away from the unrelentinly disgusting metaphores to something cleaner, albeit possibly more cynical and/or venemous, I don't know yet.

That being said... Observations from check on the season so far:

~ According to the commentators, Tyler Braytons knee to Jeremy Stevens crown jewels was a cheap and vulgar atrocity to a fellow football player. At least, it was how they saw it. How check saw it:

"And there's a scuffle on the field...OH! And a Seahawk is knee'd in his manhood by a Raider? WTF!?! Oh, wait... Jeremy Stevens was knee'd? Well, he had it coming."

Now that may seem rude, but I don't think so. Rude is wishing that Stevens wasn't wearing a cup. Rude is wishing Brayton wasn't wearing a knee-pad. Rude is wondering if Stevens is usually expecting the knee to be coming from girl he has cornered at a party...

Seriously, what does he bring to the team? Bad attitude, bad history, and a propensity to choke. The 'Hawks have no use for him.

~ Floyd Womack is much better than we thought he was, especially after having to suffer through weak performances by not yet ready Chris Spencer and Rob Simms. Yes, Womack got beat by Warren Sapp a couple of times, but jeez, Sapp has been a beast his entire career, and I reckon Pork Chop is still a bit rusty. I still chalk the improvement in the run game against Oak-Town to Womacks return. The 'Hawks overall rushed the ball very well, even in light of....

~ ... MoMo's inability to follow his freaking lead blocker! Re-watch the game film from Oakland. How many 4 yard runs would have been 15 yard runs if MoMo followed Strong, rather than shifting his gap by one lineman? That's the big difference (albeit, not the only one) in this offense between Alexander and MoMo. Alexander is better at following the Mack Truck.

~ Deion Branch was a fantastic addition, and I have absolutely nothing bad to say about him. I like the way he plays, I like his attitude, his spirit, and his contributions. With Jackson and Branch at wide out, and the apparent emergence of DJ Hackett, I can almost forget about that new punt returner we have.

~ Someday (though not this year. And probably not next) Ryan Plackenmeier will be one of the best punters in the league. I haven't seen a leg that big since before Anna Nicole Smith went on that binge diet.

~ Seneca Wallace can be my back-up quarterback anyday. The only thing keeping him from being a starter in this league is about 4 inches of height, and I think someday, he will get a legit chance, rather than just backfill until the real starter returns.

~ The 'Hawks are fighing everything right now. Nothing is coming easy. They are hurt. The O-line has been atrocious in the run game. The defense has underacheived. But the team is 5-3, despite being outscored on the season. We should be happy to be where we are. There is hope for the end of the season. 11-5 is still likely, and the NFC West will probably be ours, regardless of the outcome of this weekends game. All we can do right now, is hold on, get healthy, and plan on getting hot around week 13. That's what I'm hanging my hat on.

That's where I'm at on the season so far. Lots of dissapointment, but then again, wasn't HOPE the last item in Pandora's Box?

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2006 Seahawks Midseason Report

Fresh off a rain-soaked victory that I witnessed in person, the Seahawks have at times hummed but mostly sputtered and limped their way to the season’s halfway point.

Eight games in is a neat and symmetrical (if arbitrary) point to take stock of the season so far; to revisit preseason thoughts and see how the team has lived up or down to them. Through eight games the Seahawks’ performance has been almost perfectly negatively correlated with my preseason predictions. Virtually nothing other than the record has happened the way I thought it would.

Continued on "Page Two."


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Dr. Holmgrenstein Creates Frankenbloof!

(click picture for larger image)


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M____'s Keys to the Game: 2nd Lambs Edition!

It's time once again for Monkey's Meezy's Mike's Keys to the Game!

No need for a big intro for this game. It's the Lambs, at home, with the sweep and a 2 game lead in the division on the line. Enough said.

The Seahawks simply need a repeat performance of Monday night's game against the Raiders. Here are the three big things (one on offense, two on defense) that the 'Hawks need to do:

1. On offense, ESTABLISH A RUNNING GAME! Mo Morris finally got over 100 yards on last Monday. He needs another game like that on Sunday to keep the Lambs' D off balance. He got 74 yards against the Lambs last month, so I'm confident that he will do a good job.

2. On defense, SACK BULGER EARLY AND OFTEN! The 'Hawks got 9 sacks against Andrew Walter last Monday, and they sacked Marc Bulger 6 times last month, so it can be done. The more pressure that is put on Bulger, the less time he has to find Holt, Bruce, et al.

3. Also on defense, DON'T GIVE UP BIG PLAYS! Prime example, Torry Holt's last TD grab of the previous 'Hawks/Lambs game. Holt will get his catches and yards, but the Seahawks defense needs to keep him out of the endzone this time. Also don't be so focused on the Lambs' receivers that Stephen Jackson has a big game on the ground (a la Chester Taylor and Larry Johnson).

The Seahawks also need to shut down Stephen Jackson and have a good passing game of their own, but I believe that the three keys mentioned above are the most critical ones for a Seahawks victory on Sunday.

My prediction: Seahawks win (of course), 21-14. GO SEAHAWKS!!

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Knockout Pool: Week 10

I chose this week's knock-out pool picture in honor of the low-blow suffered by Jerramy Stevens last week, and the fact that the Rams have been our "bitches" in the previous three meetings.

Alba is again traveling this weekend, this time to the motherland to attend this epic battle for NFC West supremecy, and to tip a few cocktails with the boys and girls from SeahawkBlue.com, so please remember to get your posts in before I leave Saturday morning.

Last week saw a rash of TKOs as several people forgot to submit their picks, and then the Bears losing to the Dolphis took care of several more contenders.

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 Contenders link, along with the teams used each week.

Good luck!

This Week's Matchups

Contenders and Picks

Official Knock Out Pool Rules

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Alba's Dark Angel Award: Week 9

This is my weekly award given to the player who steps out of obscurity to help the team the most. After watching the Monday Night Football game, I'm tempted to give it to the entire Raider organization, which was just what the doctor ordered coming off a two game slide. But the Raiders are still a hated rival, even though they're in the other conference now, so no way they get any recognition from this Seahawks fan.

And after viewing the "shot heard round Mount Ranier" I nearly gave this award to Jerramy Steven's jockstrap, which seems to be the only thing keeping him from finishing the season with the Vienna Boys Choir!

But looking at the Seattle roster, the first real candidate for this award is to much maligned backup "running" back Maurice Morris, who is the first Seahawks ball carrier to break the century mark this season. Morris was effective at running the ball, which allowed the Seahawks to control the clock and get in position to score 16 points.

[Contined at Seahawks Fanhouse]

(but they don't get a hidden picture of Jessica Alba!)



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Monday Night Smack Down!

Ahh... The flowers smell sweeter, the Sun shine's brighter, and my MainSqueeze is looking awfuly good right now. When I return from ravaging her, I will continue my acholades of the Raider game....Tic Toc, Tic Toc...

Sorry for the delay. Now then, where was I? Oh yeah..It's good to see that the Raiders commitment to excellence is still the same classless orginization of thugs. Late in the game. Stevens showed steel stones as he was violated by Raider defender, Tyler Brayton. Stevens,Showing he has some disciplin and not retaliating for the crime of Jewel damage with the knee. Part of me was wishing Joe Jurivicious would have been that Seahawk, he would have defended his honorables.

As most of you know, I have been damned hard on ole Mo Morris. Not that I will take it all back, however, he had an excellent game posting 138 yards that included some break away sprints with a long of 29 yards. Seneca Wallace boasted the long dash of the night with a rush, of many, of 37 yards posting 49 for the night with a 16.7 yard average. hmmm....You thinkin' what I'ma thinkin'? Wallace's 37-yard scramble in the third quarter was Seattle's longest run of the season. ...

Deion Branch, was well, Deion Branch. I'll still kiss his butt for all of his tenure. The Hawks were as smart to snatch him, if not smarter then when they snagged Joe J from Tampa. Shouldn't have let that one get away.

Defense Showed up last night too allowing 64 yards rushing and 166 yards passing and one Goose egg allowed on the Raider scoreboard. Oh Yeah, lets not forget, 9, count'm nine Sacks and only a nano-second away from 10.

Not one interception or fumble lost in the entire 60 minutes of play. Andrew Walter did cough one up but he got it back himself. There was a blown snap that was a rotten call buy the Zebra's that should have resulted in "Touch Down Seahawks", But some fool striped shirt musta' got the whistle lodged in his throat because he blew the play dead calling it illegal motion.

Next week we will have to bite the bullet again without Sir Shaun and Matt against the Rams. May God be with us and the defense make it impossible for us to lose in a impossible situation.

MaxHawk..12 Street Writer


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Week 9: Seahawks 16, Raiders 0 - R.I.P. Andrew Walter

The Seahawks' defense finally stepped up today, pitching their first shutout since their last Monday Night game in Philly. They buried Raiders' QB Andrew Walter with 9 sacks, with three players each getting more than one.


With the rain at Qwest Field, the running game became even more important than usual, and the 'Hawks responded. Shaun Alexander Mo Morris finally broke 100 yards in a game for the first time this season, rushing for 138 yards.

I had to work tonight, so I couldn't watch the game. On a positive note, I missed the Theisman/Kornheisher experiment, and the Seahawks D finally produced big for my fantasy football team.

I trust my fellow Street members will provide their excellent analysis in the comments. I'm already looking forward to next week, when the Lambs come up to Seattle to receive another loss. I am also excited that the Lambs know their place, and have given us clear first in the NFC West with their loss to the Chiefs.

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Road to the NFC Championship Runs Through _______

I know. Pretty much everyone has been saying Chicago at this point. Not that I blame them.

But I haven't given up on Seattle just yet, not with the best skill players due to return (eventually). Sure, right now the Bears are the stronger team, and they can definitely point to the scoreboard, the ultimate judge of strength. But with Miami, in the process of handing them their own poo-nanny, punking them in their own den, this tells me I should expect the NFC race to go all the way to week 17.

Thoughts?


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Return Of The Raider Rivaly

They said it wasn't a true rivalry. Just don't ask that question of the coaches and players. They'll tell you it was a war every time, at either home. Don't ask Art Shell Raiders head coach unless you want to know the truth that many hide from not wanting to admit that the Seahawks belonged in the heated AFC West Rivaly. Shell knows all about the bitter history of the series.


A few of the games were blowouts. Two came in the playoffs. Many have been close — 25 of the 51 games have been decided by a touchdown or less.

Shell remembers the Seattle fans.

"There was always a lot of noise up there [in the Kingdome]," Shell said. "The fans up there were great. I always thought they supported their football team. And anytime we came to town, they seemed like they tried to make a lot of noise. But it was all in fun."

Well, maybe not all fun.

Jim Zorn, now the Seahawks' quarterbacks coach, was also there at the beginning, as the Seahawks' first quarterback. "Just getting in a real war every time we went out," Zorn said. "It was fun, except we weren't smiling. It was a hard-fought game to the end every single time we lined up on the field against each other."

"It was the hardest because they were so good. It could have gone either way every time we lined up."

The Kingdome was deafening. The Oakland Coliseum, and later the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, were full of snarling, costumed and painted diehards who made the stands as adventurous as the action on the field.


MaxHawk has seen plenty of Seahawks-Raiders games and has some interesting memories.

"It was a team of characters with Oakland, and Seattle was a team looking to get respect," Hawk said of the matchups in the '90s.

In 2001, MaxHawk was at Husky Stadium watching Shaun Alexander on a Sunday night against the Raiders. Alexander, rushed for 266 yards and scored three touchdowns.

"That's the one I remember most," Max said. "They're still the Raiders and people still want to beat them."

Rewind to the Jack Patera era in Seattle, 1976 to 1982, and the Seahawks were doing whatever they could to win in the early stages of the franchise.

"Every time we played Seattle up there during the early times, we never knew what Jack Patera was going to do," Shell said. "There was always something on the board ... They had some great players there that we respected."

Bryce Fisher and tight end Jerramy Stevens, both grew up as Raiders fans in the late 1980s, recalling the rushing exploits of running back Bo Jackson.

"They were going to knock each others' heads off every time," Fisher said of the old AFC West games. "Howie Long could do no wrong in my eyes."

The realignment of teams and divisions in the NFL in 2002 ended the AFC West rivalries for the Seahawks. The Seahawks opened the 2002 regular season against Oakland, but haven't played them since.

In 2006, the Raiders have the NFL's best pass defense. They have allowed 35 points and two touchdowns the past three games, though they are just 2-5 on the season.

"It was a great rivalry for years and years before I got here [1999]," Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren said.

Some games of notability, that I remember very well are...

Nov. 26, 1978: Seahawks become the first team since 1965 to defeat Oakland twice in a season when Efren Herrera boots a 46-yard field goal at Oakland with three seconds left for a 17-16 win.

Oct. 16, 1983: Seahawks win 38-36 at the Kingdome over the Los Angeles Raiders by forcing eight turnovers and registering eight sacks.

Jan. 8, 1984: Raiders crush the Seahawks' Super Bowl dreams with a 30-14 win in the AFC Championship Game at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum. Marcus Allen rushes for 154 yards and Frank Hawkins scores two touchdowns to lead the silver and black.

Dec. 22, 1984: Seahawks get revenge with a 13-7 win over the Raiders in an AFC wild-card game at the Kingdome, with six sacks and a 123-yard rushing performance by (DR.) Dan Doornink.

Nov. 30, 1987: Raiders blast the Seahawks 37-14 on Monday night, and Raiders running back Bo Jackson rushes for 221 yards. Ninety-one of those came on a sprint down the sideline, after which Jackson ran out of the end zone and up a ramp under the dome's south stands. "He might not stop until Tacoma," deadpanned color commentator Dan Dierdorf on the TV broadcast.

Nov. 28, 1988: Seahawks win 35-27 on Monday night in the Kingdome, with Dave Krieg throwing five touchdown passes and Curt Warner and John L. Williams becoming the first two Seattle RBs to each gain more than 100 rushing yards in the same game.

Dec. 18, 1988: Krieg passes for 410 yards and four touchdowns, and Williams has 180 yards receiving and 59 rushing as the Seahawks beat the Raiders 43-37 to clinch the first AFC West title in franchise history.

Nov. 11, 2001: Shaun Alexander rushes for 266 yards, including an 88-yard touchdown, as the Seahawks win 34-27 at Husky Stadium on a Sunday night. Afterward, Oakland coach Jon Gruden says, "I don't know if that was Alexander or Jim Brown, man."

Just don't ask the Seattle faithfull if there was ever a serious rivalry between the Seahawks and the Raiders, Unless you want to hear the war stories of lore that will be handed down to my grandchidren and hopefully, theirs. Maybe by that time, the NFL will realize that Seattle alway's belonged in the AFC West and this lil' stint in the NFC West will be just for grins and giggles like it was in 1976.

MaxHawk 12 Street Writer

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Knockout Pool: Week 9

Since the Seahawks will be playing in front of the nation this Monday night, I went a little patriotic with the weekly dose of soft porn ass kicking hotties which usually accompany these posts.

Alba will be heading out Sat. evening for Scottsdale, AZ for a meeting, not a Cardinal game, so I may be a little tardy updating the Picks and Contenders page, so bear with me. And speaking of AZ, thanks to Max from the SeahawkBlue forum, I submit this picture as proof that the popularity of the 12SS KO Pool is sweeping the nation, causing women everywhere to don boxing gloves and mug for the camera, even in KC!

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 Contenders link, along with the teams used each week.

Good luck!

This Week's Matchups

Contenders and Picks

Official Knock Out Pool Rules

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Return of The Other White Meat

According to Mike Sando Mike Holmgren has confirmed Floyd "Pork Chop" Womack as healed up and the starting LG Monday night vs. Oakland.

Naturally, this is assuming that he doesn't injure himself before then. Please, stuff him in a round rubber room with no sharp objects.

Note to Jessica and J-bag: See, Sims DID earn the backup role last week.


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Tuesday's With Morons.

So you wanna play football.....



MaxHawk...12 Street Writer


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