Its been a whole month since the Seattle Seahawks won their first Super Bowl in franchise history. Now, Seattle fans have the Mariners to watch. So far the Mariners have started the spring 6-1 after today's win over the Los Angeles Dodgers, and yet there is already worry about this team. The worries aren't coming from the M's players hitting or the Nick Franklin trade rumors, the worries are being focused on two of the Mariners prime pitchers Hisashi Iwakuma and Taijuan Walker.
Both pitchers have started the season injured. Walker has been shut down for the week due to inflammation in his throwing shoulder but ESPN reported that Walker may not be in the starting rotation until early/late April, but to be honest Walker should be back on the mound before the start of the season as he is taking medication to take the swelling down.
Iwakuma though is a different story, Kuma will have his right middle in a splint for three more weeks, he would have needed to throw 22 simulated innings or minor league innings to even be ready for the season. So you can imagine how both Seattle sports talk radio shows and the fans are reacting to this. Me though, I'm not worried. Kuma and Walker's absence will be missed but until they return the Mariners do have either Scott Baker, Blake Beaven, Erasmo Ramirez, and Randy Wolf to cover until they return. The worst case scenario is that Brandon Maurer gets called to be a starter and we can all remember his dismal season last year.
Putting both Kuma and Walker aside, the Mariners first 7 games of the season has seen the team hit, the speed, and great pitching that shows that this Mariners ball club is ready for the 2014 season and are wanting to make noise to push for the playoffs for the first time since 2001.
Now, how about we talk about the hitters now, shall I? First off Corey Hart, he's suppose to be having knee issues but the other day he didn't show any signs of that as he stole home plate. Hart signed a one year, $6 million dollar deal with the Mariners and so far he's taken only 6 at bats and in those at bats he's drawn 3 walks, 2 hits, and he's scored 3 times when he gets on base, so Hart's knees for some odd reason seem to be healed. As for Logan Morrison he's been getting at bats and making the most of it. Morrison was acquired from the Miami Marlins in a trade for pitcher Carter Capps, and again he's really done a great job in Spring Training. He's had 12 at bats and has had 5 hits and driven in 2 runs.
One player that seems to having a difficult time at the plate is Abraham Almonte. Almonte is predicted to be Seattle's lead off hitter but right now I'm thinking at being placed 8th in the lineup. Almonte has had 12 at bats and has only managed 1 hit. Almonte last year played in 25 games and finished with a .264 batting average and showed off his speed as well. If Almonte wants that lead off role he needs to pick things up and get some hits, because he's a great lead off hitter candidate because of his speed. One more concern is Stefen Romero he is hit less in 11 at bats this spring........nothing really more to say.
Romero is projected this year to possibly make his MLB debut this year, but to do that he's going to need to show manager Llyod McClendon that he's ready to make that jump. Dustin Ackley though has been tearing the cover off the baseball this spring. Ackley entered this spring with more beard and he has done nothing but show the fans that this may be his year. Ackley has had 10 at bats and has 6 hits to go with 1 homerun, and 6 RBIs.
There's a lot we can say about Ackley and the other players but I think I will finish things off by saying, that this team looks prime and ready for Opening Day in Anaheim. The Mariners can be that team that come straight out of spring training and make a loud noise in the American League. Yes Kuma and Walker will be out for a little bit but again the Mariners have the necessary replacement pitchers to help the team at the start of the season until their two prime starters return. Another thing is that this Mariners team looks to be the team that breaks the dead last in hitting streak they have had. Only time will tell. Tonight the Mariners face the Cleveland Indians at 7.
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
Friday, February 14, 2014
New 2014 Seattle Mariners Projections
The Seattle Mariners off season has been looking like a playoff maybe even a World Series one. The M's just got done signing closer Fernando Rodney to a 2 year, $14 million dollar deal. So, again the Mariners are making noise in the offseason and are trying to see if they can pull off a playoff season and maybe perhaps a World Series title. The Mariners football counterpart the Seahawks just got finished with winning their first Super Bowl title in franchise history. So the Mariners have very high expectation's this year, especially when it comes to the playoffs cause lets face it the Mariners have been going-on 13 year playoff-less drought and with the signing's they have had they will look to end that drought this year.
Here is my newest projection on the Mariners with their newest additions.
Starting players
C Mike Zunino
1B Justin Smoak
2B Robinson Cano
SS Brad Miller/Nick Franklin
3B Kyle Seager
CF Dustin Ackley
RF Abraham Almonte
LF Michael Saunders or Nick Franklin
DH Corey Hart or Logan Morrison
Bench players
Logan Morrison
Willie Bloomquist
Nick Franklin or Carlos Triunfel
John Buck
Starting Rotation
Felix Hernandez
Hisashi Iwakuma
Taijuan Walker
James Paxton
Erasmo Ramirez or Scott Baker (if he makes the Spring Training cut) or a free agent
Bullpen
Blake Beaven
Stephen Pryor
Lucas Luetge
Yoervis Medina
Charlie Furbush
SU Danny Farqhuar
CL Fernando Rodney
The first thing that is up for discussion is the Brad Miller/Nick Franklin battle that will be going on at the beginning of Spring Training. To me its a no brainier, Miller will win this position battle no doubt. I mean last year Miller played great at shortstop so why replace a good thing with a struggling hitter? It would be just like having another version of Brendan Ryan......and seriously who wants that? For some reason after the All Star Break pitcher's figured him out. Franklin batted a horrible .194, struck out 77 times, and was less patient at the plate and swung at pitches that even Vladimir Guererro wouldn't have swung at.
Depending on how both Franklin and Carlos Triunfel does during Spring Training one of them will get a spot on the 25 man roster. Both have not produced hitting wise in the major's but they need to fill the 25 man roster with someone right? Now if Franklin fails at getting the spot at shortstop there is always a possibility that the M's will give him a shot in the outfield just like Ackley last year.
Next thing I should discuss is the 5th spot in the starting rotation. If the Mariners don't sign Ervin Santana then the final spot will go to either Ramirez or the non-roster invite Scott Baker. Ramirez is the first choice of course, but again if the front office goes out and spends a little more money on a possible big pitcher free agent then Ramirez could be seen doing early inning appearances in the bullpen. Also I came close to putting tom Wilhelmsen on the roster but decided better, why you ask, do I even need a reason? Or should I remind M's fans of the game in Boston on August 1st of last year?
I thought not. Wilhelmsen last year began the season with a great start, but then all of a sudden he had control problems and had major meltdowns and blew saves left and right. Danny Farqhuar on the other hand pitch amazing once he was given the closer position he was light's out, so with Rodney being signed Farqhuar will become the setup man.
Now before I end this post I do want to get on the bench players. First Willie Bloomquist, I'm happy that he has been brought back to his Northwest roots to play with the Mariners as a utility player and a speedy late inning pinch runner. Then we have John Buck, probably my favorite signing besides Cano this off season. Buck provides the necessary veteran role that 2nd year catcher Mike Zunino needs to learn about his position and become a better catcher and hitter. Basically the M's signed a bench player who still has a great arm as a catcher and can hit for power.
This off season has seen a number of great signings and the season is less then a month away from beginning. My only hope for the Mariners is that the team can improve with their hitting with runners in scoring position to help out Cano and score to win more ball games. If they do that, I see an 87-89 win season, with a Wild Card title and hopefully a World Series berth.
Let the season BEGIN!!!
Here is my newest projection on the Mariners with their newest additions.
Starting players
C Mike Zunino
1B Justin Smoak
2B Robinson Cano
SS Brad Miller/Nick Franklin
3B Kyle Seager
CF Dustin Ackley
RF Abraham Almonte
LF Michael Saunders or Nick Franklin
DH Corey Hart or Logan Morrison
Bench players
Logan Morrison
Willie Bloomquist
Nick Franklin or Carlos Triunfel
John Buck
Starting Rotation
Felix Hernandez
Hisashi Iwakuma
Taijuan Walker
James Paxton
Erasmo Ramirez or Scott Baker (if he makes the Spring Training cut) or a free agent
Bullpen
Blake Beaven
Stephen Pryor
Lucas Luetge
Yoervis Medina
Charlie Furbush
SU Danny Farqhuar
CL Fernando Rodney
The first thing that is up for discussion is the Brad Miller/Nick Franklin battle that will be going on at the beginning of Spring Training. To me its a no brainier, Miller will win this position battle no doubt. I mean last year Miller played great at shortstop so why replace a good thing with a struggling hitter? It would be just like having another version of Brendan Ryan......and seriously who wants that? For some reason after the All Star Break pitcher's figured him out. Franklin batted a horrible .194, struck out 77 times, and was less patient at the plate and swung at pitches that even Vladimir Guererro wouldn't have swung at.
Depending on how both Franklin and Carlos Triunfel does during Spring Training one of them will get a spot on the 25 man roster. Both have not produced hitting wise in the major's but they need to fill the 25 man roster with someone right? Now if Franklin fails at getting the spot at shortstop there is always a possibility that the M's will give him a shot in the outfield just like Ackley last year.
Next thing I should discuss is the 5th spot in the starting rotation. If the Mariners don't sign Ervin Santana then the final spot will go to either Ramirez or the non-roster invite Scott Baker. Ramirez is the first choice of course, but again if the front office goes out and spends a little more money on a possible big pitcher free agent then Ramirez could be seen doing early inning appearances in the bullpen. Also I came close to putting tom Wilhelmsen on the roster but decided better, why you ask, do I even need a reason? Or should I remind M's fans of the game in Boston on August 1st of last year?
I thought not. Wilhelmsen last year began the season with a great start, but then all of a sudden he had control problems and had major meltdowns and blew saves left and right. Danny Farqhuar on the other hand pitch amazing once he was given the closer position he was light's out, so with Rodney being signed Farqhuar will become the setup man.
Now before I end this post I do want to get on the bench players. First Willie Bloomquist, I'm happy that he has been brought back to his Northwest roots to play with the Mariners as a utility player and a speedy late inning pinch runner. Then we have John Buck, probably my favorite signing besides Cano this off season. Buck provides the necessary veteran role that 2nd year catcher Mike Zunino needs to learn about his position and become a better catcher and hitter. Basically the M's signed a bench player who still has a great arm as a catcher and can hit for power.
This off season has seen a number of great signings and the season is less then a month away from beginning. My only hope for the Mariners is that the team can improve with their hitting with runners in scoring position to help out Cano and score to win more ball games. If they do that, I see an 87-89 win season, with a Wild Card title and hopefully a World Series berth.
Let the season BEGIN!!!
Friday, February 7, 2014
Mariners making playoff moves
With all the hype on the Seattle Seahawks there's been only a small attention on the their baseball counterpart, the Seattle Mariners. The Mariners offseason has been unbelievable as they signed Robinson Cano to a 10 year, $240 million dollar deal, then they signed Corey Hart to a 1 year, $6 million dollar deal, and ended things by trading Carter Capps to the Miami Marlins for OF Logan Morrison. To give my honest opinion I was actually a little upset when they traded Capps, he had control problems towards the end of last season but I still think he had a future with the team. Now Capps will probably have a closing job in Miami and I wish him the best.
Now, back to the Mariners and their offseason. Yesterday the Mariners signed closer Fernando Rodney to a 2 year, $14 million dollar deal. So, remember my Mariners projection post? Yeah I'm going to have to make a big change in that post. With Rodney signed the Mariners now have one of the best closer's in the game and a position that was much needed. Danny Farqhuar was the closer last year after taking over for the struggling Tom Wilhelmsen, so most likely both those pitchers will compete for the setup role.
The Mariners have yet to have a consistent closer since Kazuhiro Sasaki, who closed for the Mariners for 4 years before retiring. Since Sasaki, the longest any closer has pitched for the Mariners was 3 years (Eddie Guardado), but since then no closer has gone more then 2 years before being replaced because of inconsistent play or control problems.
Brandon League and Wilhelmsen are a good example of how the Mariners have had closer problems. League blew a number of saves and was replaced by Wilhelmsen who had a great stretch for the rest of that year and the following year, but last year Wilhelmsen got off to a great start by converting 12 saves with a 0.75 ERA in the first two months of the season but things quickly fell apart as he ran into control problems and was optioned to Triple-A Tacoma.
Now, with Fernando Rodney you are getting a closer who saved 48 games in 2012 with a 0.60 ERA and then the following year saved 37........so basically to sum it all up you're getting one helluva closer. This spring training the Mariners will most likely will have a competition between both Brad Miller and Nick Franklin for the role of shortstop since Cano will be taking the second basemen role over Franklin. Hart on the other hand will most likely be put in the DH role and may play a bit of first base and the outfield and as for Morrison he will be used as a late inning pinch runner/pinch hitter and a day off player.
The Mariners offseason is still not finished as the rumors fly around about Nelson Cruz. The rumor is, that the Mariners are close to signing the former Rangers slugger to a 2-3 year deal and may bring back Kendrys Morales as well. Cruz, if you remember last year was linked to the Miami biogenesis clinic and was suspended for 50 games. So, is a 2-3 year multi million dollar deal a good idea for Cruz who will be turning 34 this June?
If you read @LookoutLanding and read their daily post then you would have already read their take on the Cruz situation and who they believe would be a better signing then Nelson Cruz. They have posted that the better option's would be to resign Morales, extend Kyle Seager's contract, or make a trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers for Andre Either or Matt Kemp. But, besides Cruz some MLB writers and experts think with Cano signing with the Mariners it will promote more Dominican Republic players to sign with the Mariners. Right now Ubaldo Jimenez and Ervin Santana remind unsigned and could find their way to Seattle.
The Mariners could use one more big bat or pitcher on the starting 25 roster, Bronson Arroyo, A.J. Burnett, and Stephen Drew are still out there and could be wearing Mariners blue and teal this season if the front office decides to go after them. Another free agent signing that I almost forgot to mention was catcher John Buck. Buck signed a 1 year, $1 million dollar deal. That was my favorite signing besides the Cano signing of the offseason. The reason I say that is because Buck provides not only a veteran role for the 2nd year catcher Mike Zunino, but he has a great throwing arm to gun down runners and he has the ability to hit for power and drive in runs.
The Mariners offseason has just been one of the best in a long time. Its going to be tough for this baseball team though, to follow up with a playoff season or a World Series year to the Seahawks Super Bowl winning season. I do see one awesome season for this Mariners team just because of the signings and the development of the players that are currently on the roster. When I went to Mariners FanFest I told both Mariners play-by-play Aaron Goldsmith and did the recorded ROOT Sports interview with Jen Mueller that I expect to see an 87-89 win season with a Wild Card berth and hopefully win a title just like the Seahawks. I'm excited for this season and hope for the best.
GO Mariners!!!
Now, back to the Mariners and their offseason. Yesterday the Mariners signed closer Fernando Rodney to a 2 year, $14 million dollar deal. So, remember my Mariners projection post? Yeah I'm going to have to make a big change in that post. With Rodney signed the Mariners now have one of the best closer's in the game and a position that was much needed. Danny Farqhuar was the closer last year after taking over for the struggling Tom Wilhelmsen, so most likely both those pitchers will compete for the setup role.
The Mariners have yet to have a consistent closer since Kazuhiro Sasaki, who closed for the Mariners for 4 years before retiring. Since Sasaki, the longest any closer has pitched for the Mariners was 3 years (Eddie Guardado), but since then no closer has gone more then 2 years before being replaced because of inconsistent play or control problems.
Brandon League and Wilhelmsen are a good example of how the Mariners have had closer problems. League blew a number of saves and was replaced by Wilhelmsen who had a great stretch for the rest of that year and the following year, but last year Wilhelmsen got off to a great start by converting 12 saves with a 0.75 ERA in the first two months of the season but things quickly fell apart as he ran into control problems and was optioned to Triple-A Tacoma.
Now, with Fernando Rodney you are getting a closer who saved 48 games in 2012 with a 0.60 ERA and then the following year saved 37........so basically to sum it all up you're getting one helluva closer. This spring training the Mariners will most likely will have a competition between both Brad Miller and Nick Franklin for the role of shortstop since Cano will be taking the second basemen role over Franklin. Hart on the other hand will most likely be put in the DH role and may play a bit of first base and the outfield and as for Morrison he will be used as a late inning pinch runner/pinch hitter and a day off player.
The Mariners offseason is still not finished as the rumors fly around about Nelson Cruz. The rumor is, that the Mariners are close to signing the former Rangers slugger to a 2-3 year deal and may bring back Kendrys Morales as well. Cruz, if you remember last year was linked to the Miami biogenesis clinic and was suspended for 50 games. So, is a 2-3 year multi million dollar deal a good idea for Cruz who will be turning 34 this June?
If you read @LookoutLanding and read their daily post then you would have already read their take on the Cruz situation and who they believe would be a better signing then Nelson Cruz. They have posted that the better option's would be to resign Morales, extend Kyle Seager's contract, or make a trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers for Andre Either or Matt Kemp. But, besides Cruz some MLB writers and experts think with Cano signing with the Mariners it will promote more Dominican Republic players to sign with the Mariners. Right now Ubaldo Jimenez and Ervin Santana remind unsigned and could find their way to Seattle.
The Mariners could use one more big bat or pitcher on the starting 25 roster, Bronson Arroyo, A.J. Burnett, and Stephen Drew are still out there and could be wearing Mariners blue and teal this season if the front office decides to go after them. Another free agent signing that I almost forgot to mention was catcher John Buck. Buck signed a 1 year, $1 million dollar deal. That was my favorite signing besides the Cano signing of the offseason. The reason I say that is because Buck provides not only a veteran role for the 2nd year catcher Mike Zunino, but he has a great throwing arm to gun down runners and he has the ability to hit for power and drive in runs.
The Mariners offseason has just been one of the best in a long time. Its going to be tough for this baseball team though, to follow up with a playoff season or a World Series year to the Seahawks Super Bowl winning season. I do see one awesome season for this Mariners team just because of the signings and the development of the players that are currently on the roster. When I went to Mariners FanFest I told both Mariners play-by-play Aaron Goldsmith and did the recorded ROOT Sports interview with Jen Mueller that I expect to see an 87-89 win season with a Wild Card berth and hopefully win a title just like the Seahawks. I'm excited for this season and hope for the best.
GO Mariners!!!
Tuesday, February 4, 2014
SeaTalk Intentional Super Bowl Champions edition
http://recordings.talkshoe.com/TC-129537/TS-827410.mp3
Sleepless in Seattle
It took only 12 seconds for Super Bowl XLVIII first score. That already sounded like destiny was on the Seahawks side, as a bad snap to Peyton Manning sailed into the end zone and was recovered by Knowshon Moreno for a safety. Following the punt by the Broncos the Seahawks decided to hand the ball off but not to Marshawn Lynch but to Percy Harvin. Harvin ran the ball for 30 yards before being forced out of bounds. the Broncos defense held Seattle to a field goal on the drive.
The following Denver possession the Seahawks defense forced a three and out, and after the Denver punt, Russell Wilson completed a 37 yard pass to Doug Baldwin, this would lead to another Steven Hauschka field goal and the Seahawks took an 8-0 lead. On Denver's next drive Manning threw his first interception of the game to Kam Chancellor, aided by a 15 yard run from Harvin and a pass interference call on defensive back Tony Carter, Marshawn Lynch ran the ball into the end zone with 12 minutes left in the 2nd quarter to put the Seahawks up 15-0.
Things really started to get bad for the Denver Broncos as on their ensuing drive, Manning's 3rd down pass was tipped high into the air, this allowed Malcolm Smith to grab it and once he did there was no turning back. Smith took it to the house for a 69 yard interception for a touchdown and so the Seahawks went up 22-0 before halftime. Denver started to get things going on the offense during their final drive of the half. The Broncos manged to get to Seattle's own 19 yard line but rather then taking the points and kicking a field goal they decided to go for it on 4th and 2. Manning's pass was nearly intercepted by Walter Thurmond, so the Seahawks went into halftime up 22-0, it was the largest deficit the Broncos had faced all season long.
The Seahawks won the coin toss but elected to defer to the second half, and what a start to the second half! Trying to avoid a huge kick return, Matt Prater kicked the ball short. The ball landed at the Seattle 12 yard line and Percy Harvin picked it up and began the second half with an 88 yard kick return for a touchdown. Again it only took 12 seconds to have this half's first score, pretty ironic huh?
After both teams punted the ball Denver began to show that they were not out of this game yet, as Manning was able to complete several passes to get the Broncos into Seattle territory. It wouldn't last. Manning threw a 23 yard completion to Demaryius Thomas but Byron Maxwell knocked the ball out of his hands and Malcolm Smith jumped on the ball and recovered the fumble to give the Seahawks the ball once again. Things just kept getting worse for Denver as an unnecessary roughness penalty gave the Seahawks 15 extra yards. Wilson didn't waste it after a 19 yard completion to Ricardo Lockette he threw a bullet to Jermaine Kearse, who shrugged off 4 tacklers and went 23 yards for the touchdown.
With a 36-0 lead it was looking like the Seahawks defense may produce the first shutout in Super Bowl history, but they didn't. Peyton Manning finally lead his team into the end zone, with a 14 yard touchdown pass to Thomas, but after that Denver would not score again.
Zach Miller recovered Prater's onside kick on the Seattle 48 yard line. He also caught an 10 yard pass as the Seahawks subsequently went 52 yards down the field for one more touchdown. With a 24 yard pass to Kearse that set up Russell Wilson's final touchdown pass of the game as he hooked up with Dough Baldwin for a 10 yard score. After that score which put the Seahawks up 43-8 that basically nailed the coffin shut. Denver's final drives would result in two turnover on downs and one fumble recovery by the Seahawks, thanks to Chris Clemons (which was the only sack in the game by either team).
The clock hit 0:00 and the confetti poured out blue a green and the Seattle Seahawks, who came 31 seconds short of the NFC Championship last year now were Super Bowl Champions for the first time in franchise history. It was the city of Seattle's first major championship since the 1979 Seattle SuperSonics.
Malcolm Smith was named the game's Most Valuable Player becoming just the ninth defensive player to win that award. A lot of ironic stats were recorded in the game. 12 seconds to score in both half's, 12 minutes left exactly when the Seahawks scored their first touchdown, 206 passing yards by Russell Wilson which is the area code for Seattle, Manning's 12th playoff loss, and finally Seattle's 12th playoff win. Those stats say "destiny" all the way.
The following Denver possession the Seahawks defense forced a three and out, and after the Denver punt, Russell Wilson completed a 37 yard pass to Doug Baldwin, this would lead to another Steven Hauschka field goal and the Seahawks took an 8-0 lead. On Denver's next drive Manning threw his first interception of the game to Kam Chancellor, aided by a 15 yard run from Harvin and a pass interference call on defensive back Tony Carter, Marshawn Lynch ran the ball into the end zone with 12 minutes left in the 2nd quarter to put the Seahawks up 15-0.
Things really started to get bad for the Denver Broncos as on their ensuing drive, Manning's 3rd down pass was tipped high into the air, this allowed Malcolm Smith to grab it and once he did there was no turning back. Smith took it to the house for a 69 yard interception for a touchdown and so the Seahawks went up 22-0 before halftime. Denver started to get things going on the offense during their final drive of the half. The Broncos manged to get to Seattle's own 19 yard line but rather then taking the points and kicking a field goal they decided to go for it on 4th and 2. Manning's pass was nearly intercepted by Walter Thurmond, so the Seahawks went into halftime up 22-0, it was the largest deficit the Broncos had faced all season long.
The Seahawks won the coin toss but elected to defer to the second half, and what a start to the second half! Trying to avoid a huge kick return, Matt Prater kicked the ball short. The ball landed at the Seattle 12 yard line and Percy Harvin picked it up and began the second half with an 88 yard kick return for a touchdown. Again it only took 12 seconds to have this half's first score, pretty ironic huh?
After both teams punted the ball Denver began to show that they were not out of this game yet, as Manning was able to complete several passes to get the Broncos into Seattle territory. It wouldn't last. Manning threw a 23 yard completion to Demaryius Thomas but Byron Maxwell knocked the ball out of his hands and Malcolm Smith jumped on the ball and recovered the fumble to give the Seahawks the ball once again. Things just kept getting worse for Denver as an unnecessary roughness penalty gave the Seahawks 15 extra yards. Wilson didn't waste it after a 19 yard completion to Ricardo Lockette he threw a bullet to Jermaine Kearse, who shrugged off 4 tacklers and went 23 yards for the touchdown.
With a 36-0 lead it was looking like the Seahawks defense may produce the first shutout in Super Bowl history, but they didn't. Peyton Manning finally lead his team into the end zone, with a 14 yard touchdown pass to Thomas, but after that Denver would not score again.
Zach Miller recovered Prater's onside kick on the Seattle 48 yard line. He also caught an 10 yard pass as the Seahawks subsequently went 52 yards down the field for one more touchdown. With a 24 yard pass to Kearse that set up Russell Wilson's final touchdown pass of the game as he hooked up with Dough Baldwin for a 10 yard score. After that score which put the Seahawks up 43-8 that basically nailed the coffin shut. Denver's final drives would result in two turnover on downs and one fumble recovery by the Seahawks, thanks to Chris Clemons (which was the only sack in the game by either team).
The clock hit 0:00 and the confetti poured out blue a green and the Seattle Seahawks, who came 31 seconds short of the NFC Championship last year now were Super Bowl Champions for the first time in franchise history. It was the city of Seattle's first major championship since the 1979 Seattle SuperSonics.
Malcolm Smith was named the game's Most Valuable Player becoming just the ninth defensive player to win that award. A lot of ironic stats were recorded in the game. 12 seconds to score in both half's, 12 minutes left exactly when the Seahawks scored their first touchdown, 206 passing yards by Russell Wilson which is the area code for Seattle, Manning's 12th playoff loss, and finally Seattle's 12th playoff win. Those stats say "destiny" all the way.
Saturday, January 25, 2014
NHL/NBA back in Seattle?
I would like to thank my good friend Jovan Heer for taking the time to write this post on the situation Seattle is facing. No, nothing serious just the fact that Seattle has been without an NBA team since 2008 and hasn't had an NHL back since the Seattle Metropolitains back in 1924. The Metropolitains became the first American team to win the Stanley Cup back in the 1917 beating the Montreal Canadians in 4 games in a best of 5 series. You can follow Jovan on Twitter @JovanHeer, he's happy to give his "professional" take on the Vancouver Canucks during the game. Bellow are his words, that's why I put them in bold lettering.
The Seattle Seahawks are on their way to the Super Bowl for only the second time in franchise history and all of Seattle is going absolutely insane over the team. The team has had an amazing amount of support throughout the years, this year more then ever. The last time the Seahawks were in the Super Bowl was back in 2006, where they lost to both the Pittsburgh Steelers and the refs 21-10. The team has worked so hard this season winning the NFC West and just recently winning one of the hardest fought NFC Championship games anyone has ever seen against the San Francisco 49ers.
The 12th Man is being talked about all over the world and you see it on the back of jerseys, home decorations, and even on the side of buildings. Century Link Field may be the loudest stadium in the NFL with the greatest fans, this season the fans broke the record for the loudest crowd in a game against the 49ers and then after the Chiefs fans broke the record the 12th Man broke the record again.
So that leaves us with the question, if the Seahawks win the Super Bowl will that open the door for an NBA and/or NHL team to arrive in Seattle? With a new arena in Seattle and with stable owners the city could support an NBA team again because of the passion that the fans in Seattle show towards both a departed NBA team and no NHL team. If a city can gather around a team and show as much and support for a team as they do for the Seahawks and the Mariners, it could open a door for another franchise coming in.
David Stern is set to retire from the NBA and I know a lot of Sonics fans are saying "Good ridden". In early February last year he was quoted saying "We're not focused on expansion at the moment. It wouldn't surprise me if Commissioner Silver was looking at strong applications from Las Vegas and Seattle in the coming years.", so that gives all those in Seattle hope for at least an NBA team in the upcoming years.
I personally don't see Las Vegas acquiring a team over a city like Seattle, just because of the limited fan base. Besides there's way too many things to do in Vegas, I mean who's going to want to go to an NBA game when they can go watch celebrities perform and lose all their money? Even when the SuperSonics were in around they were averaging 15,000 fans a game and around 600,000+ fans a season. The team was just starting to play well when Clay Bennett decided to team up with Stern and move the Sonics out of Seattle and breaking the hearts of thousands of Sonic fans. Since they have moved to Oklahoma City they have improve year after year and even earned a trip the NBA Finals 2 years ago but lost to the Miami Heat (no complaints).
Only time will tell if Seattle gets an NBA back, but nothing will change until the soon to be Commissioner of the NBA gets adjusted to the new position. On to the National Hockey League, Commissioner Gary Bettman is always reluctant to the idea of relocating teams even when in doubt.....just look at the Phoenix Coyotes situation. They have been losing money for several years and instead of folding the team and relocating it they have instead decided to pay for it until the new owner was found and lost money because of it.
Teams like Florida, Columbus, and Dallas are struggling to put fans in the seats but that may be because of the teams being down in the standings. That may open the door to them relocating any of these teams to a new city, but that doesn't mean it will be in Seattle. There are other cities in the US and Canada looking at the potential of also getting an expansion team or getting one of those franchise like Quebec City and Kansas City. In conclusion it will be easier to get an NBA team then an NHL team but both are something that fans might end up getting in the long run with it being a great opportunity to grow the city of Seattle once again.
The Seattle Seahawks are on their way to the Super Bowl for only the second time in franchise history and all of Seattle is going absolutely insane over the team. The team has had an amazing amount of support throughout the years, this year more then ever. The last time the Seahawks were in the Super Bowl was back in 2006, where they lost to both the Pittsburgh Steelers and the refs 21-10. The team has worked so hard this season winning the NFC West and just recently winning one of the hardest fought NFC Championship games anyone has ever seen against the San Francisco 49ers.
The 12th Man is being talked about all over the world and you see it on the back of jerseys, home decorations, and even on the side of buildings. Century Link Field may be the loudest stadium in the NFL with the greatest fans, this season the fans broke the record for the loudest crowd in a game against the 49ers and then after the Chiefs fans broke the record the 12th Man broke the record again.
So that leaves us with the question, if the Seahawks win the Super Bowl will that open the door for an NBA and/or NHL team to arrive in Seattle? With a new arena in Seattle and with stable owners the city could support an NBA team again because of the passion that the fans in Seattle show towards both a departed NBA team and no NHL team. If a city can gather around a team and show as much and support for a team as they do for the Seahawks and the Mariners, it could open a door for another franchise coming in.
David Stern is set to retire from the NBA and I know a lot of Sonics fans are saying "Good ridden". In early February last year he was quoted saying "We're not focused on expansion at the moment. It wouldn't surprise me if Commissioner Silver was looking at strong applications from Las Vegas and Seattle in the coming years.", so that gives all those in Seattle hope for at least an NBA team in the upcoming years.
I personally don't see Las Vegas acquiring a team over a city like Seattle, just because of the limited fan base. Besides there's way too many things to do in Vegas, I mean who's going to want to go to an NBA game when they can go watch celebrities perform and lose all their money? Even when the SuperSonics were in around they were averaging 15,000 fans a game and around 600,000+ fans a season. The team was just starting to play well when Clay Bennett decided to team up with Stern and move the Sonics out of Seattle and breaking the hearts of thousands of Sonic fans. Since they have moved to Oklahoma City they have improve year after year and even earned a trip the NBA Finals 2 years ago but lost to the Miami Heat (no complaints).
Only time will tell if Seattle gets an NBA back, but nothing will change until the soon to be Commissioner of the NBA gets adjusted to the new position. On to the National Hockey League, Commissioner Gary Bettman is always reluctant to the idea of relocating teams even when in doubt.....just look at the Phoenix Coyotes situation. They have been losing money for several years and instead of folding the team and relocating it they have instead decided to pay for it until the new owner was found and lost money because of it.
Teams like Florida, Columbus, and Dallas are struggling to put fans in the seats but that may be because of the teams being down in the standings. That may open the door to them relocating any of these teams to a new city, but that doesn't mean it will be in Seattle. There are other cities in the US and Canada looking at the potential of also getting an expansion team or getting one of those franchise like Quebec City and Kansas City. In conclusion it will be easier to get an NBA team then an NHL team but both are something that fans might end up getting in the long run with it being a great opportunity to grow the city of Seattle once again.
Thursday, January 23, 2014
Seahawks/Broncos Super Bowl Preview
Ok sure I'm writing a Super Bowl preview a week and a half away from the day before kickoff but so what! Too excited to wait. The second time in Seahawks history they are in the Super Bowl, but this opponent is way different from any opponent that they have face this season. For the first time since Super Bowl XXV that the number one offensive and defensive teams will be facing off for the ultimate prize......the Lombardi Trophy and to be crowned Super Bowl Champs!
The Seahawks have been from this stage in the NFL for 8 years and the last time they were there it was a complete disaster (thanks to the striped assholes calling the game). They fell short of their goal of Super Bowl champs to the Pittsburgh Steelers 21-10. Let's just hope that the refs will call a fair game in this Super Bowl huh?
Anyways, getting back to the game the Seahawks have the better team. Why do I say that the Seahawks have a better team compared to the Denver Broncos who have had Peyton Manning, DeMaryius Thomas, Wes Welker, Knoshon Moreno, and Eric Decker on their team? Simple, the Seahawks want this game more and have more to prove then the Broncos.
The Hawks have gone through criticism all season and have had the media doubt them all season long. Their wide receiver's have been called "pedestrian" but quoting wide out Doug Baldwin "It irritates the hell out of me when guys constantly want to talk about receiving, talking about we're average, we're pedestrian. Well guess what? We're walking our ass to the Super Bowl as pedestrians".
The Seahawks wide receiver core may not have any Pro Bowlers or highlight players in the eyes of the media and the experts but all season long Baldwin, Golden Tate, and Jermaine Kearse have shown how good they really are. The experts fail to forget that it was Kearse who made the game winning catch against the Panthers in Week 1, or made a spectacular catch in the Colts game to keep the Hawks in the game, and guess what? It was Kearse who made the tough catch against the 49ers last Sunday that basically won the game for the Seahawks. Golden Tate has had a career season for catches (64) and yards (898), he also had a career game against the St. Louis Rams in the final game of the season catching 8 passes for a career high 129 yards.
Those are not "pedestrian" wide receivers to me. The Seahawks may not have three guys who have caught 10+ touchdowns like the Broncos have no they have speedy and athletic young men who are ready to prove to the whole nation that even though they are not Pro Bowlers they are just as good.
The Broncos have Peyton Manning yes we know but here's the thing you take Manning away and the Broncos are not a Super Bowl team! That's all the Broncos are is a passing team and all season long the Seahawks secondary has shut down passing teams like this. The Legion of Boom have three terrific All-Pro and Pro Bowl players but their backups are just as dangerous. Byron Maxwell was put in for the suspended Brandon Browner and in just 5 games he picked off 4 passes!!!
Walter Thurmond III is just as dangerous, he may only have had one interception during the season but he still a great defender. Jeremy Lane has been outstanding for the Seahawks as well. To me this guy should have been a Pro Bowler for special teams, he's also a great cornerback as well.
The Broncos defense is good......but not that good. Their defense has proven that they are weak, when they go up against teams who actually HAVE an offense they struggle. The Broncos D almost blew it two weeks ago as the San Diego Chargers scored 17 points in the 4th quarter, their offense also struggled against the Chargers defense as well. The Broncos D has shown they are week in their three loses and in a couple of their wins.
If Russell Wilson can get his legs moving while under pressure and run the ball in 10 days then the Seahawks may have a shot at really pounding the Broncos. Wilson has been holding the ball way too long in the past couple games, during the first half of the season he ran the ball more often but since week 8 he has ran the ball less and less. During a three game stretch he ran 33 times and ran for 240 yards!! I mean damn what happened after that huh? Since Week 17 he has ran the ball 13 times for 15 yards.......that's not Russell Wilson. It's a big importance that Russell runs in his first Super Bowl when he has no one to go to.
Another big key in this Super Bowl for the Seahawks is get to Manning early and sack his ass! You do that you have Manning and the Broncos on the ropes. Manning has been sacked 7 times in the 3 loses this season and in the 13 that he has won he's been sacked 11 times......yeah weird huh? Doesn't matter the Seahawks D-Line needs to get to Manning early and put pressure on him and get him to panic to throw the ball, that will allow the secondary to pick Manning off or with the pressure have Manning throw it away.
Another thing is that Seahawks offensive corridinator Darrell Bevell needs to call a smart game. He's been highly criticized by myself and a lot of other Seahawks fans, but I do have to give him kudos on calling a great game last week, but he really does need to let Russell call the game. In the loss against the Colts it looked like Russell was calling the plays, actually the three game rushing stretch for Wilson looked like he was calling the plays. The point I'm trying to make is that Bevell needs to call one more smart game and let Russell call the plays from time to time.
The running game in the last three games has been scary for the Seahawks, lead by their Pro Bowl running back Marshawn Lynch has ran for 346 yards in the last 3 games (249 in the playoffs). Beast Mode has been on another level since Week 17......boy has been eating his Skittles. Lynch needs to keep this stretch going against the Broncos, who are ranked 8th in run defense in the NFL. Before the Divisional Round Game Lynch had gone 6 weeks of not going over the century mark but since then he's broken big runs and of course created two new Beast Quakes.
The Broncos really have nothing to threaten the Seahawks if you look at it. The Hawks have the number one defense against the passing game and are 7th against the running game. Last week the Seahawks had one horrible game against the run game as Colin Kaepernick ran for 130 yards, but getting onto a positive note they only allowed 31 yards on 17 carries to the other running backs that the Niners had. The Seahawks have also shut down some of the game's best quarterbacks this season.
They held Cam Newton to 125 yards in Week 1, Kaepernick to 127 the following week, held Andrew Luck to 229 yards in Week 5, Matt Ryan to 172 in Week 10, Drew Brees to 147 in Week 13, Kaepernick to 175 in Week 14, held Eli Manning to 156 in Week 15 and picked him off 5 times, and then Kaepernick one more time last week to only 153 yards.
The numbers don't lie, this Seahawks secondary is the most feared in the NFL and the Seahawks lead the NFL in takeaway's with 28 coming from interceptions. This Super Bowl is really going to be one helluva show. Both teams have explosive offenses but the Seahawks still have the advantage in the defensive face-off.
This is going to be a game to remember win or lose the Seattle Seahawks have had a terrific season and the 12th Man will always be there to support the team including myself. I just wish the Super Bowl was kicking off this week instead of on February 2nd.
GO HAWKS!!!!!
The Seahawks have been from this stage in the NFL for 8 years and the last time they were there it was a complete disaster (thanks to the striped assholes calling the game). They fell short of their goal of Super Bowl champs to the Pittsburgh Steelers 21-10. Let's just hope that the refs will call a fair game in this Super Bowl huh?
Anyways, getting back to the game the Seahawks have the better team. Why do I say that the Seahawks have a better team compared to the Denver Broncos who have had Peyton Manning, DeMaryius Thomas, Wes Welker, Knoshon Moreno, and Eric Decker on their team? Simple, the Seahawks want this game more and have more to prove then the Broncos.
The Hawks have gone through criticism all season and have had the media doubt them all season long. Their wide receiver's have been called "pedestrian" but quoting wide out Doug Baldwin "It irritates the hell out of me when guys constantly want to talk about receiving, talking about we're average, we're pedestrian. Well guess what? We're walking our ass to the Super Bowl as pedestrians".
The Seahawks wide receiver core may not have any Pro Bowlers or highlight players in the eyes of the media and the experts but all season long Baldwin, Golden Tate, and Jermaine Kearse have shown how good they really are. The experts fail to forget that it was Kearse who made the game winning catch against the Panthers in Week 1, or made a spectacular catch in the Colts game to keep the Hawks in the game, and guess what? It was Kearse who made the tough catch against the 49ers last Sunday that basically won the game for the Seahawks. Golden Tate has had a career season for catches (64) and yards (898), he also had a career game against the St. Louis Rams in the final game of the season catching 8 passes for a career high 129 yards.
Those are not "pedestrian" wide receivers to me. The Seahawks may not have three guys who have caught 10+ touchdowns like the Broncos have no they have speedy and athletic young men who are ready to prove to the whole nation that even though they are not Pro Bowlers they are just as good.
The Broncos have Peyton Manning yes we know but here's the thing you take Manning away and the Broncos are not a Super Bowl team! That's all the Broncos are is a passing team and all season long the Seahawks secondary has shut down passing teams like this. The Legion of Boom have three terrific All-Pro and Pro Bowl players but their backups are just as dangerous. Byron Maxwell was put in for the suspended Brandon Browner and in just 5 games he picked off 4 passes!!!
Walter Thurmond III is just as dangerous, he may only have had one interception during the season but he still a great defender. Jeremy Lane has been outstanding for the Seahawks as well. To me this guy should have been a Pro Bowler for special teams, he's also a great cornerback as well.
The Broncos defense is good......but not that good. Their defense has proven that they are weak, when they go up against teams who actually HAVE an offense they struggle. The Broncos D almost blew it two weeks ago as the San Diego Chargers scored 17 points in the 4th quarter, their offense also struggled against the Chargers defense as well. The Broncos D has shown they are week in their three loses and in a couple of their wins.
If Russell Wilson can get his legs moving while under pressure and run the ball in 10 days then the Seahawks may have a shot at really pounding the Broncos. Wilson has been holding the ball way too long in the past couple games, during the first half of the season he ran the ball more often but since week 8 he has ran the ball less and less. During a three game stretch he ran 33 times and ran for 240 yards!! I mean damn what happened after that huh? Since Week 17 he has ran the ball 13 times for 15 yards.......that's not Russell Wilson. It's a big importance that Russell runs in his first Super Bowl when he has no one to go to.
Another big key in this Super Bowl for the Seahawks is get to Manning early and sack his ass! You do that you have Manning and the Broncos on the ropes. Manning has been sacked 7 times in the 3 loses this season and in the 13 that he has won he's been sacked 11 times......yeah weird huh? Doesn't matter the Seahawks D-Line needs to get to Manning early and put pressure on him and get him to panic to throw the ball, that will allow the secondary to pick Manning off or with the pressure have Manning throw it away.
Another thing is that Seahawks offensive corridinator Darrell Bevell needs to call a smart game. He's been highly criticized by myself and a lot of other Seahawks fans, but I do have to give him kudos on calling a great game last week, but he really does need to let Russell call the game. In the loss against the Colts it looked like Russell was calling the plays, actually the three game rushing stretch for Wilson looked like he was calling the plays. The point I'm trying to make is that Bevell needs to call one more smart game and let Russell call the plays from time to time.
The running game in the last three games has been scary for the Seahawks, lead by their Pro Bowl running back Marshawn Lynch has ran for 346 yards in the last 3 games (249 in the playoffs). Beast Mode has been on another level since Week 17......boy has been eating his Skittles. Lynch needs to keep this stretch going against the Broncos, who are ranked 8th in run defense in the NFL. Before the Divisional Round Game Lynch had gone 6 weeks of not going over the century mark but since then he's broken big runs and of course created two new Beast Quakes.
The Broncos really have nothing to threaten the Seahawks if you look at it. The Hawks have the number one defense against the passing game and are 7th against the running game. Last week the Seahawks had one horrible game against the run game as Colin Kaepernick ran for 130 yards, but getting onto a positive note they only allowed 31 yards on 17 carries to the other running backs that the Niners had. The Seahawks have also shut down some of the game's best quarterbacks this season.
They held Cam Newton to 125 yards in Week 1, Kaepernick to 127 the following week, held Andrew Luck to 229 yards in Week 5, Matt Ryan to 172 in Week 10, Drew Brees to 147 in Week 13, Kaepernick to 175 in Week 14, held Eli Manning to 156 in Week 15 and picked him off 5 times, and then Kaepernick one more time last week to only 153 yards.
The numbers don't lie, this Seahawks secondary is the most feared in the NFL and the Seahawks lead the NFL in takeaway's with 28 coming from interceptions. This Super Bowl is really going to be one helluva show. Both teams have explosive offenses but the Seahawks still have the advantage in the defensive face-off.
This is going to be a game to remember win or lose the Seattle Seahawks have had a terrific season and the 12th Man will always be there to support the team including myself. I just wish the Super Bowl was kicking off this week instead of on February 2nd.
GO HAWKS!!!!!
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About Me
Im a huge Seattle sports nut. Thats basically about me. But im an upcoming blogger who writes only about the Mariners, Seahawks, Sounders, and when they come back the Sonics. Now if you would like me to write about something tweet me and i will write it. Now i should mark that im also Irish and have a beard that is feared above Brian Wilson's beard. His beard can kiss my beard's ass!