The Mariners posted a paltry 61-101 record in the 2008 MLB season for an unimpressive .377 winning percentage. If the Seahawks lose both of their final two games, they will finish 3-13 for a .188 winning rate. The Huskies went 0-12, and the Cougars managed to finish 2-11.
Extending the Seahawks', Huskies' and Cougars' records to a 162-game rate, their records would be as follows:
Seahawks - .188 (30-132)
Huskies - .000 (0-162)
Cougars - .154 (25-137)
That brings Washington teams to a total MLB-schedule record of 116-532 for a .179 winning percentage. Adding in the atrociously bad Oklahoma City thunder (40+ years of history in Seattle can't be removed right away, you know) and their current 2-24 mark (which extends to a 6-76 final record and a .077 winning percentage, and it gets much worse.
I know it's been ugly the past 10 months or so for washington teams, but that trend cannot continue - considering the Patriots' recent successes (four SB appearances and three championships in five years) and how the Red Sox have risen to overcome the "curse", things have been going great in Beantown for a while now. Soon, it will be our turn to enjoy successes across the board.
Will the Huskies win the PAC-10 title in 2009? No. Will the Seahawks rebound and make their 2nd franchise SB appearance? Not likely. Will the Mariners pull off a worst-to-first run and suprprise everyone? Heck no. Can the Cougars wake up from their nightmare? Not right away.
But, those things WILL happen. When, of course, is the ultimate question.
During the campaign of 2004 -- which this morning seems about as long ago as the campaign of 1832 -- Rep. Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill., went to the White House for a congressional meeting with President George W. Bush, wearing a new campaign button.
The president gave the button a perplexed look, and asked, "Osama?"
No, said Schakowsky, it was Illinois' Democratic Senate candidate, Barack Obama. Bush shrugged and said he'd never heard of him.
"Mr. President," said Schakowsky, "you will."
This morning -- sooner than either of them, or anybody else, might have expected -- everyone has heard of Barack Obama, and the United States has elected its first African American president. The voting marks the end of a long campaign, but surely the beginning of something even bigger.
During her campaign for the Democratic nomination, back in the winter and spring, Hillary Clinton liked to find women in their nineties, born into a country where they couldn't vote, eager to vote for a woman for president. It was intended to be moving, and it was.
But Barack Obama has now been elected to lead a country where, at the time of his birth, millions of Americans who looked like him were kept from voting by violence and intimidation. Obama campaigned and contended in states where, during his preschool years, his parents' very marriage would have been illegal.
This, like the lines of people waiting three hours in the Georgia sun to vote, is something more than moving. The demonstration that there is now literally no position closed to an African American brings a partial closing to the nation's longest and most agonizing division.
Obama's triumph, over the 21 months of his campaign, was not simply to show that an African American could be a serious candidate for president, and to electrify that community. It was to create a sense of possibility in a wider audience, especially a younger audience, to make them believe that a different kind of politics was possible. From the beginning of his campaign, Obama has had a particular appeal to voters too young for their cynicism to have hardened.
His victory was no narrow squeeze; Obama ran better among white voters than any Democratic presidential candidate in decades.
For two decades, it has seemed that American politics has been locked into a punishing, unproductive trench warfare between the two parties, an endless refighting of battles about culture and country dating from the 1960s. Watching one recent national convention, David Broder of The Washington Post commented to a younger colleague that when the Baby Boomers reached nursing homes, they would be pounding on each others' walkers and yelling about Vietnam. The Bill Clinton and George W. Bush years tended to underline his point.
Obama, from a later time and free of that tie-dyed burden, offered an opportunity to finally change the subject, an opportunity the country has now embraced.
Colin Powell, in his important endorsement of Obama, said he thought Obama could be a "transformational" president. It's a big word, and a judgment finally left to historians from future decades, if not future centuries.
But Powell's point was that Obama, as not only the first African American president but a product of a post-civil rights world, a figure of extraordinary eloquence, analysis and ability to connect, carries the chance of transforming our politics, and both the way the United States sees itself in the world and the way the world sees the United States.
In 2008, these are all desperately needed changes.
Every president takes office promising to make the United States a different country than it was. Few succeed, and Obama's White House plans, like those of any other president, deserve to be viewed through that prism of improbability.
But through his historic campaign, and his impressive, once implausible triumph, Obama has already done something that few presidents manage during their entire term in office.
He has shown us that we are a different country than we thought we were.
And from that realization, we can now go forward.
This piece is courtesy of The Oregonian Editorial Board, 11/05/2008.
Not long ago, I wrote about how the NFC West gets little credit and has been unfairly tabbed as the worst division in football.
*crunch, crunch*
That's me eating some rather well-done crow, folks.
The division leader, Arizona, is 3-2 overall, and 2-2 outside of the division (wins against MIA & BUF, losses to WAS & NYJ). The Cards' performance in week 5 at home against the surging Buffalo Billas was impressive, and their 31-10 victory over Miami in week 2 now looks to be a bit bigger than previously thought due to how well the Dolphins have been playing the past two weeks. However, the loss to the Jets, caused primarily by Brett Favre's record-setting 6 TD performance, was a horrendous defensive display. Losing to the Redskins by a touchdown, however, now seems like a valiant effort against a very solid team. By and large, considering only on-field performance thus far in 2008, Arizona is the class of the NFC West. Yep, THAT Arizona.
In 2nd place, sitting at 2-3 currently, is San Francisco. They've won on the road against Seattle (33-30 in a week 2 OT matchup) and at home against the hapless Detroit lions. But, losses to Arizona, New Orleans and New England have stymied this club's interest in returning to the postseason. It's not that they've lost ugly, because all three of their losses have come to decent football teams. But, they haven't won convincingly against anyone worth mentioning (no, the OT win in Seattle doesn't count, considering Seattle is 1-3 after their week 5 drubbing at the hands of the Giants). A 31-13 home win over the Lions shouldn't impress anyone. Is this team better than in 2007? Yes. Is it better than in 2006? Probably not, and a 7-9 or 8-8 record should be considered a well-placed stepping stone on their path back to respectability.
Seattle, 1-3 after a horrendous 44-6 road loss to the New York Giants, is the defending division champion... as if that actually meant anything nowadays. In week one, Seattle managed to post a 34-10 loss in Buffalo. Following that was a 3-point OT loss at home to division rival San Francisco, a loss that embarrassed the franchise after sweeping the 49ers three times in the past 4 seasons. At 0-2 and facing their worst start in what seemed like an eternity, the Seahawks smothered the Rams with a solid running game en route to a convincing 37-13 home victory. Then came the Giants, and ohhh it was ugly. To date, removing Seattle's lone win of the season against one of the three worst NFL teams this season, Seattle has been outscored 111-46 in their three losses. Ouch. Now remove the home loss to the 49ers (33-30 in OT), and Seattle has been outscored by New York teams 78-16 in two games.
Now we get to St. Louis, which recently fired coach Scott Linehan. At 0-4 after their bye week, the Rams are in horrible shape. Losing weekly by an average score of 36.8-10.8, the Rams are proving how bad they can really be. 0-1 in the division, 0-3 outside of it. Yikes. Detroit might be worse, but not by much. Considering they shelled out half the farm to make Steven Jackson happy and he's provided them with 269 rushing yards and one score in their four losses, things are looking as bleak as ever for the Rams.
So, to sum up, the NFC West is 6-12 overall, and 3-9 outside of the division.
The Seattle Seahawks, now 1-3 and third in the NFC West behind Arizona (3-2) and San Francisco (2-3), are in somewhat unfamiliar territory.
The past five seasons have netted the Seahawks four consecutive division titles (2004-2007) and five straight playoff appearances. Just two full seasons removed from the franchise's first Super Bowl appearance (a 21-10 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, during which Seattle managed two interceptions, 20 first downs, 396 total yards of offense, and held Ben Roethlisberger to 9-of-21 passing for just 123 yards), Seattle is feeling the sting of a difficult start to the 2008 season. Although the injury bug has hit the Seahawks in critical areas (most notably the four WR out for the season opener, five WR out for weeks 2 and 3, and two out for entire season) and hurt their depth, what has caused this dramatic turnaround from the competitive team that has been one of the most consistent in the NFC to their current state of being considered one of the worst teams of the first quarter of the 2008 season?
Julius Jones, signed along with T.J. Duckett to fill the void left by the departed Shaun Alexander, has been electric. He was held to just 61 yards rushing against a very good Giants defense, but he managed 127 and 140 against San Francisco and St. Louis in consecutive weekly performances. Duckett, the 250-pounder, has been good in the short-yardage situations, picking up 3 TDs already. Mike Wahle, the former Pro Bowl Carolinia Panthers guard, has shored up the left side of the offensive line and effectively helped Walter Jones protect Matt Hasselbeck's backside. In short, the offense has been adequate. Not excellent, but adequate. Considering the injury issues on the O-line (Gray, Spencer, Locklear), at the WR position (Branch, Engram, Burleson, Obomanu, Payne), and at RB (Morris), the Seahawks have done an admirable job of moving the chains with some semblance of consistency.
However, the defense has been an entirely different story. A squad that returned 11 starters from 2007 and did very well for a majority of the 2007 season has just not been effective. They're somewhat undersized, but they make up for the issue by being quicker, fatser and smarter than most. Marcus Trufant, signed for a huge contract extension, has been acceptable thus far, but Kelly Jennings, the 2006 NFL draft 1st round pick for Seattle, now in his third season with the Hawks, has been consistently underperforming; he in not progressing, rather regressing. Deon Grant and Brian Russell, the savvy and hard-hitting safeties, have been completely invisible thus far, providing very little support to either of the cornerbacks on deep converage. Routinely, fans see wide-open tight ends and slot receivers down the middle seam with nary a blue jersey to be found. Where's the coverage? How is this DB squad - which is 100% intact from last year and led the NFL in 2007 by allowing just 15 touchdown passes - performing so poorly after performing so well the previous year? Some people point to John Marshall, the defensive coordinator, as having a poor game plan; some point to Jim Mora Jr., the DB coach and heir to the Seahawk head coaching position when Mike Holmgren retires after this season. But, is it really just one thing, or is it a multitude of problems?
Seattle has routinely been playing what looks like a shallow zone coverage, giving opposing wideouts a big eight to ten yard cusion at the line of scrimmage. Playing in that cover-two zone doesn't allow for the same kind of safety support we saw all last year, when Seattle played in man-to-man coverage a lot more often than thus far in 2008. Add in the size differential between the average starting offensive line and Seattle's defensive line, poor push form the D-line, inability to control the line of scrimmage, and voila - a few things being a little bit off have us all seeing our beloved Seahawks sitting at 1-3 after two horrendous road losses to Buffalo (34-10) and New York (44-6).
The past is only prologue...
In the coming weeks, Seattle must change theri defensive approach, and that starts with John Marshall making some changes on DB coverage and running a few different blitz packages to put better pressure on opponents' quarterbacks. Three times in four games, Seattle has made opposing QBs look like All-Pro caliber performers - Trent Edwards, J.T. O'Sullivan and Eli Manning all picked Seattle's defensive backfield apart - and that trend must come to an end if seattle has any hope of returning to the playoffs.
Free up Julian Peterson and LeRoy Hill in more blitzes. Continue to run the ball over and over and over. Throw passes to the tight end.
It all starts with the coaches and their game plans from week to week, and Seattle's play-callers and decision makers must do a betterf job... and they will.
So, the Seattle Seahawks, preseason favorites to win the NFC West for the 5th straight year, have started the 2008 season 0-2. Let's look at why.
Matt Hasselbeck - the QB play thus far in Seattle's two games has been spotty, at best. Matt missed 90% of the preseason snaps due to a tweaked back and has looked very rusty against the Bills and 49ers. If the Seahawks have real playoff aspirations, he needs to return to his Pro-Bowl form and lead the offense as he is capable.
WR Corps - With injuries to six wideouts (Branch, Engram, Burleson, Obomanu, Payne, Wallace), Seattle is desperately thin at wide receiver right now. Branch and Engram are tentatively slated to return after the week 4 bye and play in New York against the Giants, but Burleson's speed and Obomanu's energy will be missed for the whole season with injuries. Add in the loss of youngster Logan Payne (IR - knee) for the remainder of 2008, and Seattle is looking for some help at the position. Billy McMullen was signed as a FA and Michael Bumpus signed from the practice squad, but neither of those two are the kind of playmakers Hasselbeck needs to open up the passing game. Strangely, former Seahawk Koren Robinson is still sitting at home. Would his athleticism and knowledge of the WCO help this club? Undoubtedly, but he may not be the roster move the Hawks make now with Payne out for the season and Wallace expected to miss 3-4 weeks.
Special Teams - Olindo Mare has done well in his work, so there is no hurting there; he's 4-for-4 in his field goal attempts including 2-for-2 from 40+ yards. However, aside of his performance thus far, the ST play in Seattle has been a glaring weakness. Punter Ryan Plackemeier was waived after a poor performance against the Bills in week 1 (11 punts, 40.9 avg), and Jon Ryan signed to replace him (3 punts, 39.0 avg against 49ers) - neither is even marginally exceptional. Kickoff and punt coverage has been mediocre, and the kick and punt return squads have done nothing special save for Josh Wilson's 54-yard kickoff return against San Francisco.
Now, let's take a look at things that have gone RIGHT for the Seahawks.
Julis Jones - Jones racked up 127 rushing yards and a score against the 49ers in week 2, making a firm statement to the coaches and his teammates that he can get it done. Sure, the Niners' defense isn't exactly what one would consider "stout", but 100+ yards is still a very good total, especially after his less-than-stellar performance against Buffalo. He also has 5 receptions for 31 yards thus far, an marked improvement over Shaun Alexander's receiving outputs.
John Carlson - The rookie tight end has been all that was promised, and more. His 10 receptions lead the team, as do his 130 receiving yards. He's been solid, and his 6 catches for 78 yards paced the Hawks' receiving group in week 2. Matt Hasselbeck should continue to look for him with all of the WR injuries the team has suffered, and Carlson's stock will only rise further.
O-Line - While the Buffalo game wasn't good (5 sacks allowed, 85 rushing yards), the O-Line fared much better aginst the 49ers, allowing just one sack and giving Julius Jones the lanes he needed to slash and twist his way to 127 total rushing yards. Walter Jones and Mike Wahle look to provide the backside protection for Hasselbeck, and both have done well. As a whole, this group has played only one good game, but their improvement from week 1 to week 2 shows me they're on the rise.
D-Line - Patrick Kerney is picking up right where he left off in 2007: he has 8 tackles (7 solo) and 3 sacks in Seattle's two contests. The eight-sack performance this group produced in week 2 was impressive; add in that they held Frank Gore to less than 70 rushing yards and they look better than ever. Rookie Lawrence Jackson had two sacks of J.T. O'Sullivan against the 49ers, and he is looking just as good as hoped.
LB Corps - Julian Peterson, LeRoy Hill and Lofa Tatupu are all tied with 13 tackles thus far in 2008, a good sign. Only one sack between the three of them (Peterson), but that pace will improve over the course of the season. Any of this trio could all start in the Pro Bowl. Yes, they're THAT good.
DB Corps - Here we have a group that dominated in 2007, allowing the fewest yards and TDs in the NFC. However, this looks like a different group right now. Poor support from the safeties (Grant, Russell) and spotty cornerback play (Trufant, Jennings) has plagued this team. Jennings need to learn to play the ball and not the receiver; Trufant got burned ugly by Isaac Bruce against the 49ers. This is a squad that excelled in 2007, and very few changes have been made. Improved play is a must, and it all starts with Trufant and Jennings being competent in their man coverage and Grant and Russell providing the support and big hits necessary. Shutting down the Rams' passing attack in week 3 is a big must for this group of players to still be considered an asset to the team.
Well, there you have it. Nothing fancy, just some basic analyses.
All in all, an 0-2 start is not good... but it's also not the end of the world. Big wins against the New York Giants (week 5) and at home against the Packers (week 6) will help to allay some of the ouchies that we're all feeling. But, it all has to start with a win over St. Louis to get the Hawks their first win in 2008.
Seattle laid a proverbial egg in Buffalo during Sunday's 34-10 drubbing by the relatively unheralded Bills.
Ignoring everything that went wrong, which, let's face it, is a very long list, I am now choosing to focus on the future and next Sunday's week 2 home opener against the San Francisco 49ers. Rather than concerning myself with dropped passes, broken special teams coverages, and a swiss cheese offensive line, I am more interested with how this team responds to the thrashing they received at the hands of a Buffalo squad that is terribly underrated, in my opinion. In 2005, Seattle lost its season opener to the Jacksonville Jaguars, and they did it in ugly fashion with five total turnovers and untimely penalties. They later went on to finish 13-3 (with a beautiful 10-game winning streak) and make the franchise's first Super Bowl appearance. With that in mind, an opening-week road loss to a decent team is no reason to lose sleep this week, and here is why...
1) Mike Holmgren-led teams usually seem to bounce back from poor performances with superb ones, and nothing I have seen from either Seattle or San Francisco has convinced me that next weekend's game will buck that trend
2) Matt Hasselbeck looked about as bad as ever, and he still managed to complete 17 passes for 190 yards. Once the cobwebs are fully shaken, he will pick up where he left off in 2005 or 2007 - with efficiency, poise, and leadership
3) Dropped passes are often a matter of "jitters" with younger players like Logan Payne, Courtney Taylor, Jordan Kent, et al. The dropsies didn't seem to affect John Carlson, the rookie TE from Notre Dame, which tells me that the WR corps likely felt a great deal of pressure to perform this week without having their #1 or #2 guys available to play
4) Deion Branch will return to play in the home opener, I am convinced of it. He's not a great receiver, but he has sure hands and he's going to be able to take some pressure off Hasselbeck
5) 10 wins will win the NFC West, and although now Seattle must go 10-5 the rest of the way to get to the double-digit mark in the "W" column for 2008, their matchup against New England now looks completely winnable with the Patriots' All-Universe QB Tom Brady on the sideline with his knee injury and pending surgery
Well, there's five reasons why it's not yet time to worry about this club. Yes, they looked God-awful yesterday, but so did a lot of other NFL teams that hyave their sights set on getting deep into the postseason.
No matter how ugly the loss was, it can only be counted as ONE - just as with an ugly win or a blowout, a win is a win is a win.
Time to look forward to the 49ers coming to town and getting their dose of the 12th Man!
With a little more information now than in my previous blog post on this very topic, I have altered a few things in the predictions for the NFC West in the 2008 NFL season. Some things, however, have not changed:
1 - The Seattle Seahawks (11-5) will win the division for the fifth straight season, an accomplishment only the New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts can also currently claim
2 - The Arizona Cardinals (8-8 or 9-7) will finish 2nd in the NFC West
3 - The St. Louis Rams (6-10) are awful on the defensive side of the ball, perhaps the worst all-around defense in the NFC
4 - The San Francisco 49ers (6-10) are awful on BOTH sides of the ball
Under normal circumstances, any time a team makes a significant change at the quarterback position, one must re-review the team's personnel to see if a significant change in overall team performance will take place.
ARI: Three months ago, Im picked Arizona and the New Orleans Saints as my NFC sleeper picks. As things stand right now, Matt Leinart is supposed to be the future of the Cardinals' offense. Unfortunately for him, his "backup" is former Super Bowl MVP Kurt Warner, he of the leader of the "Greatest Show On Turf". Now that Warner has been named the starter, I think 9-7 is a fair and solid prediction for the Cardinals in 2008. 8-8 seems a little low for this club without the inexperienced Leinart at QB, and Warner brings a toughness and grit to the offense. Anquan Boldin's little contract dispute likely won't be much of a distraction for the team, as he and Larry Fitzgerald pair up to make perhaps the most explosive and potent WR duo in the NFC. Defensively, Arizona looks pretty good, but they still need to be able to keep the offense going so the defensive starters can get better rest. This team is close, but not quite there yet. 2009 might be their year to shine, however Matt Leinart really needs to step up and show why he was drafted by the Cardinals. PREDICTION: 9-7, 2nd in NFC West, no playoffs
STL: Marc Bulger and Steven Jackson are healthy, and that will be a huge plus for this franchise that managed a 3-13 record in 2007. Will their health, however, be enough to overcome a porous defense? Well, somewhat, but not enough so as to make them a legitimate postseason sleeper or contender. Isaac Bruce is gone, Torry Holt has lost a half-step, and Bulger is coming off a very difficult season that saw him miss time during two separate stints. Bulger wasn't bad - his 70.3 rating was the lowest in his six-season career - but he offered little vision for the future when he was healthy. For him to return to his 2004-2006 form, Jackson must remain healthy, the offensive line must continue to improve (Bulger was sacked 37 times in just 11 games in 2007), and Drew Bennett and Dane Looker must remain healthy and productive. Defensively, this franchise is in deep trouble - no one on the depth chart strikes fear into anyone, and the defense has been largely ignored for what seems like an eternity. Pairing this team's offensive capabilities with a better defense creates a much better club overall. Sadly, this isn't fantasy football. PREDICTION: 6-10, 3rd in NFC West, no playoffs
SF: 49ers coaches have found themselves in a tough spot: start the ever-unimpressive Alex Smith, the man with the $50 million contract, or... start J.T. O'Sullivan, Jon Kitna's former Detroit Lions backup that came over along with new Offensive Coordinator Mike Martz? Martz has been behind O'Sullivan from day one, so if Smith feels slighted, he should - Head Coach Mike Nolan never went to bat for the man he hand-picked in the 2005 draft this offseason or training camp. Maybe Nolan is feeling the pressure and wants to distance himself from the young man? The 49ers ground game again figures to be solid, more reminiscent of the 2006 campaign. Frank Gore is the starter, and DeShaun Foster (from Carolina) the new backup, and they form a good 1-2 punch out of the backfield. This is Vernon Davis' year to put up or shut up, and the Niners are chock full of inexperienced wideouts with hopes of glory and an aging Isaac Bruce with the dream of one last push into the playoffs. Unfortunately for them, it is not to be in 2008, as the defensive unit - as good as they can be - cannot make up for an ex-NFL Europe quarterback (O'Sullivan), an offensive coordinator (Martz) that ruined the St. Louis Rams and was well on his way in helping to further ruin the Detroit Lions before he bolted for the Bay Area. PREDICTION: 6-10, 4th in NFC West, no playoffs
SEA: Julius Jones and T.J. Duckett were brought in to shore up the rushing attack, and as things are going thus far in the preseason, rookie Justin Forcett (California) is likely to beat out Duckett for playing time, perhaps even a roster spot. Jones has been okay in the preseason, Duckett not good, and Forcett a firecracker. But, the running game looks to hinge on one very unnoticed player on Seattle's roster: Maurice Morris. Morris looks to have bulked up this past offseason, and he is hitting holes with authority and a strong stride - he may have a bit of a chip on his shoulder due to Jones and Duckett being signed to run the ball and never really being considered for full-time duties. Even without former NFL MVP (2005) Shaun Alexander, Seattle still managed to lead all of their divisional opponents in rushing yards. An improved running game will take a lot of pressure off Matt Hasselbeck, and he will be thankful for it, as Bobby Engram (94 receptions in 2007) is likely out until after the bye week (week 4) and Deion Branch (49 receptions in 2007) is trying to quickly return form offseason knee surgery. The wildcard for the Seahawks is Nate Burleson, who picked up 50 catches and 9 touchdowns in 2007 after being thrust into a starting role when Branch went down with his injury (one of many). Defensively, Seattle returns 10 of 11 starters from 2007. The linebacking corps is top-three in the NFL, the secondary is energetic and provides the 2nd-best pass defense in the NFC, and the front line was bolstered with the draft-day additions of Red Bryant (Texas A&M) and Lawrence Jackson (USC). PREDICTION: 11-5, NFC West Division Champions
I'm just your average sports nut, I suppose. Of course I'm a bit of a homer - the Mariners, Seahawks, and Huskies are my teams - but I stick with my boys down the stretch, through thick and thin.
What can the Mariners do to rebound from their worst season in twent years? Will Erik Bedard recover in time for the 2009 season? Ryan Rowland-Smith and Brandon Morrow look to make the transition from the bullpen to the starting rotation, so can they combine with Felix to create a young and effective 1-2-3 tandem? How will the M's new front office guru fare - will Chuckie and Howie be able to stay "hands off" long enough for the new VP/GM to accomplish anything positive? Can the Seahawks recover from their early-season woes and rebound for a fifth straight NFC West title? How will the team handle the transition from Mike Holmgren's regime to the ways of Jim Mora Jr? Can the Hawks' defense stop anyone? Can the offense put up more than 200 yards?
Any of you folks out there interested in healthy and creative debate about anything, feel free to speak up!
