Peering into the WR Crystal Ball

As we await the decision to be made on Percy Harvin's hip injury, the speculation of Seattle's receiving group's ability to carry the team on a Super Bowl run is being called into question.

I understand the mindset of both those who are panicked and those that are not. On the one hand, this team was 11-5 last season without Harvin and stands to improve upon that record simply based on experience alone.  On the other hand, the addition of Harvin provided the Seahawks with yet another offensive dimension that would strengthen all other aspects to their offense.

No matter how you look at it-- it's a bummer.  However, it's no reason to lose any hope for the season.

Brock Huard of 710 ESPN Seattle made a great point this morning.  He said that the acquisition of Percy Harvin wasn't a move made specifically for the 2013 season, but one for the next 3 or 4 seasons.  I think that's a great point that must be considered when looking into the future of the Seattle Seahawks.

There's a lot of tremendous players, many who have been integral in the team's recent success, who will be coming due on some big money contracts in the next few years.  The sad truth is that we won't be able to keep everyone together-- the downside of scoring talent on the cheap is that, if you're talent assessment is correct, eventually you'll have to pay up.

Golden Tate is one of those players.  Tate's rookie contract expires at the end of this season and many have suggested that the Seahawks, unable to resign him under the cap, will let him walk.  I don't believe this will be the case.  I understand and agree with the argument that you can't have Harvin and Sidney Rice under large contracts while keeping Tate-- I just disagree that Tate will be the casualty of that scenario.

It's my speculation that Rice will be the receiver most likely to be sporting a new uniform in 2014.  There are several factors that lead me to that speculation and when you weigh them out it just makes sense that Seattle either restructure Rice's contract or attempt to trade him next offseason.

For starters, Rice is under contract next offseason and Tate is not.  At the very least, you can get something back for losing Rice that's reflective of his market value.  This, in and of itself, is not sufficient grounds for making that move, but it's one of many factors leading you to that decision.

The other and perhaps most pressing of reasons is the clear and obvious rapport that Golden Tate has with Russell Wilson. Wilson is always quick to heap praise on Tate in interviews and the two seem to have a good off-field relationship, as well.  Look no further than this image of the two and their significant others on Halloween last year as Goldenlocks and the 3 Bears.

Additionally, I think Rice is eating up far too much of the salary cap than he deserves.  Don't get me wrong-- I think he's a terrific receiver, but he's being paid as though he's an elite receiver and I don't think that he will be called upon to perform like an elite receiver nor do I believe that he will be healthy enough to be relied upon as such. Rice has elite talent, but in this offense, he will be a role player.  The team will continue to identify as a run-first offense and Rice will have a big role in the passing game but he will not be relied upon like a Calvin Johnson or Larry Fitzgerald.

Lastly, I think that Seattle could afford to move away from Rice after this season.  Now, that will be contingent on the marked improvement of Tate, the continued emergence of Doug Baldwin, a relatively healthy Harvin and rookie Chris Harper needs to show that he could step up into a starting role if called upon next year.  I believe that, if Golden Tate continues to progress with Russell Wilson as he did last season, that he could be a legit #1 receiver.  If Harvin, Baldwin, Harper and even Jermaine Kearse can stay healthy and productive-- I wouldn't be worried at all about trotting that group out in 2014.

Best case scenario in my opinion would be for Rice to have a spectacular, healthy season en route to a Seahawks Super Bowl victory.  In the offseason, Seattle trades him to a receiver-starved team like the Jets, Patriots or Panthers for a first round pick that is used on drafting Washington Tight End Austin Seferian-Jenkins. Seattle then resigns both Doug Baldwin and Golden Tate to long term, reasonable deals and the ensuing Seahawks dynasty avoids salary cap concerns at least for a while.

Wishful, speculative thinking for sure, but don't get me wrong-- in my mind, it's all about this season.

Bringing the Noise and Making it Official

There is little dispute as to the which team has the loudest fan base in the league.  Players, coaches, opponents and broadcasters are always quick to comment on their experiences with volume at the CLink. Having caused a league high 121 opposing false starts since 2005 makes a bold statement but, to date, there hasn't been an official crowning of the 12's as the loudest.

Not yet, anyway.

Former Seahawk Joe Tafoya, who's JumpIt Media was responsible for the outstanding turnout at the Richard Sherman Charity Softball Game, is spearheading an effort to get the Seahawks, CenturyLink Field and the 12th Man into the Guinness World Book of Records as the loudest crowd cheer-- currently held by a Turkish soccer stadium.

From Guinness World Records:

The loudest crowd roar at a sports stadium was 131.76 dbA and was achieved by Galatasaray Spor Kulubu (Turkey) at the Ali Sami Yen Sport Complex Turk Telekom Arena, in Istanbul, Turkey, on 18 March 2011.
A peak reading of 131.76 dBA was recorded during the Galatasaray SC v. Fenerbahce SC derby game at the Ali Sami Yen Sport Complex Turk Telekom Arena on 18 March 2011. The record was attempted by Galatasaray SC fans. The sound level was measured from the side line of the stadium. Distance to the crowd was 2 meters. They were given 3 attempts. The first attempt was at 20:50 pm, it measured 112.08 dbA. The second attempt was at 21:03 pm and measured 130.55 dbA. The third attempt took place at 21:15 pm and produced a reading of 131,76 dbA. A notary and one witness (sound engineer) were present. The precision measuring noise level meter (certified and calibrated) was a Bruel & Kjaer 2250 RAM DT-8850. This was the first derby game which took place at the brand new home (stadium) for Galatasaray SC and its fans. 49,488 fans of Galatasaray SC and 2,500 fans of Fenerbahce SC were counted that day. The game was finally won by Fenerbahce SC, 2 - 1.

The game in which they will attempt this feat couldn't be more perfect-- the Sunday Night Football home opener against our bitter rivals. The first decibel recording will take place throughout the 49ers first offensive series.  Unlike the case of the incumbent record holder, there will be no prompting of fans to get loud.  Tafoya insists that they want it to be organic, whereas the Turkish soccer game conducted a "1, 2, 3... be loud!" kind of setup.

The Seahawks themselves are taking a standoffish approach to this event.  You see, beating the record would mean that the decibel level would have to exceed 131.76 dbA for the 12th Man to break the record. The National Institute on Deafness and other Communication Disorders states "Long or repeated exposure to sounds at or above 85 decibels can cause hearing loss." It's perfectly understandable that the Seahawks organization doesn't want to invite potential lawsuits by condoning the event.

So it's up to the 12th Man to spread the word on this one.  I'm sure there will be no shortage of publicity for the event, but it has to start from somewhere.  Please go over to the Official Volume 12 Facebook page ( https://www.facebook.com/OfficialVolume12 ) or their website http://volume12seattle.com/ and show your support.

Just think-- if Green Bay gets revenge on the 49ers in their opener and Seattle is able to handle the Panthers on the road, this nationally televised game could lead to the Seahawks taking a two-game division head start over the Niners!

There's Nothing 'Bittersweet' About This Team

For years I've been flabbergasted by the decision to use The Verve's "Bittersweet Symphony" for-- as far as I can tell-- the official anthem of the Seattle Seahawks.

Today is supposed to be a day of celebration.  The Virginia Mason Athletic Center is packed to capacity with jubilant Seahawks fans excited to catch the first glimpse of the highly touted 2013 Seattle Seahawks. Having experienced no issues in purchasing tickets for my daughter and I for the previous training camps-- I assumed this year would be no different.  Alas, I underestimated the passion of the 12th Man for this season and camp was sold out before I knew it.

So I drove to work flipping between the two local sports radio stations trying to absorb as much Seahawk-goodness as I could when, all of the sudden, one station returned from the commercial break to the listless, lackadaisical melody of "Bittersweet Symphony".

I went from happy-go-lucky to pissed off within the first few notes of the song.

I tried searching for answers on the internet-- why is this song used as the Seahawks anthem?  Is it the official Seahawks anthem?  All I could find was other bloggers sharing my disdain.  From local favorite Hawkblogger to a perplexed Steelers fan questioning why the Seahawks came out of the tunnel to that song in Super Bowl XL-- all I could uncover was people confused, upset and angry over this terrible song choice.

For all of those people and all of my personal frustrations I have decided to start a petition to request that the Seahawks discontinue the use of this song in all forms.

Click here to sign our petition to discontinue all use of "Bittersweet Symphony" with regard to the Seahawks

An anthem is supposed to invoke specific emotions in the fans, players and opponents alike. For the fans, those emotions should be prideful and uplifting.  For the players, it should fire them up to head into battle.  For the opponents, it should at least be unsettling and intimidating.

If you're unfamiliar with the song, watch the video below.  Does this song fire you up? Do you think it motivates our players as they come racing out of the tunnel? Could you possibly fathom an opponent being intimidated by this song?

We are so lucky to live in a region rich in musical history.  Wouldn't it be so much cooler to hear the team run onto the field to Jimi Hendrix' "Voodoo Chile"?  What about Mackelmore and Ryan Lewis' "Can't Hold Us"?  Hell, even The Presidents of The United States of America's "Kick Out the Jams" would be far and away a better choice than this hum-drum tune.

Spread the word on this-- if the Seahawks take the field to BS Symphony Sunday night against the 49ers it would be a travesty.

The Verve
Bittersweet Symphony Lyrics


'Cause it's a bittersweet symphony, this life
Trying to make ends meet
You're a slave to money then you die
I'll take you down the only road I've ever been down
You know the one that takes you to the places
where all the veins meet yeah

No change, I can't change
I can't change, I can't change
But I'm here in my mind
I am here in my mind
But I'm a million different people
from one day to the next
I can't change my mind
No, no, no, no, no, no, no,no,no,no,no,no(fading away)

Well I never pray
But tonight I'm on my knees yeah
I need to hear some sounds that recognize the pain in me, yeah
I let the melody shine, let it cleanse my mind, I feel free now
But the airways are clean and there's nobody singing to me now

No change, I can't change
I can't change, I can't change
But I'm here in my mind
I am here in my mind
And I'm a million different people
from one day to the next
I can't change my mind
No, no, no, no, no, no, no
I can't change
I can't change it

'Cause it's a bittersweet symphony, this life
Trying to make ends meet
Trying to find some money then you die
I'll take you down the only road I've ever been down
You know the one that takes you to the places
where all the veins meet yeah

You know I can't change, I can't change
I can't change, I can't change
But I'm here in my mind
I am here in my mind
And I'm a million different people
from one day to the next
I can't change my mind
No, no, no, no, no

I can't change my mind
no, no, no, no, no,
I can't change
Can't change my body,
no, no, no

I'll take you down the only road I've ever been down
I'll take you down the only road I've ever been down
Been down
Ever been down
Ever been down
Ever been down
Ever been down
That you've ever been down
That you've ever been down 

This Could Be Our Year

All Eyes On Me -- Wilson's first training camp as the starter

With the Seattle Seahawks 2013 training camps already in progress, the clamoring for the NFL season to get underway has reached a fever pitch-- especially here in the Pacific Northwest.

Seahawks fans are preparing themselves for the most anticipated season of their existence.  Never before has their been this much offseason hype surrounding our team.

Between the attention brought on by odds-makers picking Seattle as Super Bowl favorites, Richard Sherman's upcoming Sports Illustrated cover,  Russell Wilson's appearance on numerous Top Ten lists, the ongoing Jim Harbaugh feud, Vernon Davis' acknowledgement of the Seahawks dynasty and the acquisition of high-profile free agents-- there is no shortage of reasons to have the highest of hopes for our team this year.

However, as Seattle sports fans, there's a lingering pessimism that has been ingrained in us over the years.

Some of us have it more than others, but it exists, to some degree in all of us. After all, our beloved basketball team of 41 years was stolen from us and we were subsequently used as pawns to push Sacramento into getting their shit together, we were admittedly jobbed by the officiating in Super Bowl XL and our Marniers, despite having a 1995 riddled with future Hall-of-Famers, remains one of only two MLB teams to have never appeared in a World Series.

I could go on endlessly about the mishaps and misadventures of Seattle sports fandom-- but it would likely drive me into depression.

So these questions have begun to emerge in our minds, on the airwaves and in the pages of blogs like this one that reflect this inevitable doubt that anything great will ever happen to our sports franchises. Questions like "Will Russell Wilson have a sophomore slump?" , "Will teams get wise to Wilson now that they have a year of game film?",  "Can Seattle overcome their hellish road schedule?", "Will Marshawn Lynch continue to carry this team now that he has another year of taking a pounding in the books?" and other doomsday scenarios that this period of NFL inactivity takes it's toll on our collective psyche.

I've said it many times before on this blog-- I'm an eternal Seahawks optimist. I will admit that I have some concerns, but there is just too much to be excited about for me to dwell on those things.

My advice: enjoy every second of this season.

Let this be the year you go from fan to super fan-- go to a game, buy a jersey, have friends over for one of the prime time games, sign up for fantasy football, follow blogs like this daily and submerge yourself in everything Seahawks this season.

No one can guarantee you a Seahawks Super Bowl win, a deep playoff run, a division title or any other accolades that are certainly within reach for our team-- but it's going to be an exciting year.  That, I will guarantee you!