30 January 2015

 

Tom Brady vs Russell Wilson


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27 January 2015

 

Awesome-er

Marshawn Lynch gave an interview to.... Skittles:

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25 January 2015

 

Garry Gilliam

Very nice story about Garry Gilliam the tight-end-turned-tackle who caught the fake field goal touchdown pass against Green Bay.


When Gilliam roared at the screaming fans in the south end zone after the greatest play of his remarkable life this past weekend, an entire community in Pennsylvania rocked like it was CenturyLink Field East.

“I knew he was lined up on the left side on their field-goal team, and I could see through the screen he was going out for a pass,” said Dennis Moore, Gilliam’s tight ends coach, javelin coach, anatomy and physiology teacher and still great friend from The Milton Hershey School in Hershey, Pennsylvania.

“I jumped off the couch. It was really fulfilling to see.”

Jared Ross at The Milton Hershey School loved Gilliam’s play, too.

Jared is a ninth grader at the cost-free, private residential school for underprivileged children. That’s where Gilliam literally lived and learned from when he was 7 years old through his high school graduation.

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22 January 2015

 

From Field Gulls

How the Seahawks saved their season in 6 minutes

The wild finish to the NFC Championship game will go down as one of the most unlikely and unbelievable comebacks in NFL history. The Seahawks erased a 16-point second-half deficit -- the largest comeback in championship game history -- including a 12-point Packer lead with under three minutes to go. Only twice before in postseason history has a team overcome a 10-point deficit under three minutes and gone on to win.

Down 19-7 with 3:52 remaining, just about everyone had given Seattle up for dead. To that point in the game, Russell Wilson was living a nightmare, and despite coming into the game with one postseason pick on 152 attempts (the lowest interception rate in NFL postseason history), he'd thrown a career-high four picks and had only completed 8 of his 22 attempts for 75 yards.

But, that's when an improbable chain of events would kick into motion. From that point on, Wilson would finish out the game 6-of-7 for 134 yards with a touchdown pass, a touchdown run, and a successful 2-point conversion.


Seahawks-Packers NFC Championship Game: Six early moments when the NFCCG was unlost

For years to come, we will celebrate the late-game heroics that improbably chucked the Seattle Seahawks into Super Bowl XLIX. (Which is an event that we did not collectively hallucinate. You will not be waking up from this nightmare-turned-wet-dream seconds from now, with specks of sleeps in your eyes and the calendar plunked open to Sunday, January 18, 2015. Relax. R-E-L-A-X. If that were going to happen, it would've by now.)

The things that happened, happened.

The Jon Ryan touchdown pass. The onside kick. The Beast Mode go-ahead TD. The two-point "Hell, Mary" conversion. Overtime. The big-play offense finally XLIXing. The Sickest thRoW. The ensuing loss of mind.

Like 43-8, those things will never unhappen.

But without six earlier events, six largely forgotten events, there is no comeback. There is no Improbable 8:30, as Kenneth put it yesterday. There is no perfect pandemonium, no blissful bedlam -- no impending invitation to immortality.


The Better Team

Stop the presses. The Seahawks are going to the Super Bowl, thanks to a sequence of events every bit as improbable as a randomly-selected lineman being named "Garry Gilliam". Which is to say, the external observer had no means of predicting it. But Garry never had a doubt.

A debatable, and herein to be debated, sentiment among some Green Bay players and fans is that "the better team" lost Sunday's NFC Championship Game. And they aren't referring to a team which is proven better over the course of the season having an off day (a distinction that clearly belongs to Seattle), they mean that the losing team actually outplayed the winning team.

Did they?


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21 January 2015

 

Captain America vs Star-Lord

A twitter exchange between Chris "Captain America" Evans and Chris "Star-Lord" Pratt:

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20 January 2015

 

More Sea! Hawks!


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Opponent audio recap.

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18 January 2015

 

Sea! Hawks!


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13 January 2015

 

Kam Chancellor

From SB Nation's Kam Chancellor is a bad man:


For a league that's really stringent about everything from drug use to touchdown celebrations, the NFL doesn't seem to have a problem with letting a created player play for the Seahawks. Kam Chancellor is 6'3 and 230 pounds, runs by threatening the ground to propel him forward and sends receivers into an existential crisis after every hit. But sure, if the NFL has no problem with allowing androids to play strong safety, I guess that's cool. I mean, all he did was hurdle the Panthers O-line and nearly block a field goal.

His feet don't touch the any players because halfway through that jump, he ascended into a higher plane of existence. He's now the divine Kam Chancellor. He ran into that jump the same way a DeLorean by a mad scientist goes back into the past. That's not the same Kam Chancellor who jumped and disrupted the kicker. He went back in time, found that kicker's great grandfather in a soccer field somewhere and destroyed him before coming back to put fear into his great grandson. They don't mention Kam's name in that kicker's household the same way Hogwarts schoolchildren don't say Voldemort.

At this point, I'm sure Kam was only picked in the fifth round because that's how long it takes to build up courage to acknowledge him. The Seahawks didn't start him in his rookie season probably because they were just sliding all of his stats to 99 while removing any sign of mercy from his heart. They released him onto the poor fools of opposing teams like a Kraken. I mean, how do you compete with a super soldier who hops over the O-line cleanly to nearly block a kick and when the play gets called back because of a false start, he nearly does it again on the next try?

They keep saying he hit the kicker like the kicker shouldn't just be happy to be able to walk away from that alive. That's a near-death experience. The only flag that should be thrown after the play was a white one because clearly the game is cheating now. This is like when one of your friends just creates a super player in Madden and then gives them a "common" name to throw you off. Now you're wondering why your receivers are walking off injured after every play.

I mean, just look at him. he jumps over the offensive line and immediately explodes forward in an attempt to block the kick in the same motion. I'm sure if the NFL decides to test him, his test will be invalid because he's powered by lithium-ion and nightmares. No way Kam doesn't go to sleep listening to the soothing sounds of cracking bones and cries of receivers and running backs. His nickname is literally "Bam Bam Kam." The only other Bam Bam was the adopted cave-child of Barney and Betty Rubble who carried around an enormous club and was known for his superhuman strength. That's who he was nicknamed after. A kid who scared dinosaurs with his inhumane power. How is that fair?

His name at this point is a threat in itself. Just walk up to your worst enemy and yell Kam Chancellor at them and it's all like: "Whoa, whoa, man. I know we hate each other, but I wouldn't even wish that on you. Too far, man."

You say his name three times in the mirror and a random receiver breaks his collarbone. One of these days he's going to become a measuring unit for how much pain is inflicted on something. A semi truck totals a Smart car at 80 mph and science teachers are going to ask how many Kam Chancellors of impact it delivered. The answer is two. A semi truck smashing a Smart car is only two Kam Chancellors.

[...]

I'm all for football being a physical game but we have to start admitting that letting mutants from the X-Men into the game is too far. Some poor kid is working hard in the gym right now, not knowing that one day his family is going to watch him turned inside out by Kam Chancellor.

I don't want that. No one should. This man must be stopped.

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11 January 2015

 

Notes from the Gulls

Fieldgulls is my favorite Seahawks website. Here are some excerpts from one of the post-game articles about the Carolina @ Seattle playoff game:


The Panthers' final drive of the second quarter was a doozy that saw them convert a 4th & 1 in field goal range, a risky move that almost backfired when Earl Thomas dropped an interception at the goal line. After the drive stalled again, the Panthers tried a simple 35-yard field goal - an attempt complicated by Kam Chancellor's otherworldly hurdle of the offensive at the perfect time; an inexplicable feat of athleticism and anticipation undone by the simple fact that he somehow whiffed on blocking the Graham Gano's kick. The try was good but waived off on a false start by Carolina, undoubtedly caused by the fear of seeing a soul-reaper in shoulder pads charging unencumbered before taking flight like some Hell-sent angel of death. On the next attempt, Kam fucking did it again, and again missed the block, this time because Gano yanked it wide to his left and then fell over like a toddler learning to walk when Chancellor bumped him. His infantile flop earned a dubious penalty and gave him a third attempt, which he made for the stupidest three points ever, cutting Seattle's halftime lead to 14-10 and throwing the game's outcome into unexpected doubt.


In fact, [Russell] Wilson was so good in this one that his final line of 15/22, 268 yards, 3 Tds, and 0 INTs resulted in a passer efficiency of 149.2- the 10th highest mark in NFL playoff history.


Per FOX, the Seahawks have now had a lead in 53 straight games, the longest streak in NFL history. Win Forever is more than just a mantra.


The Panthers actually out-gained the Seahawks 362-348 but one of the reasons that Pete Carroll doesn't worry much about yards is because yards gained often mask actual game flow and doesn't account for all the hidden yardage buried in the average starting field position stat. To wit, the Panthers average drive started on their own 16 yard line whereas the 'Hawks started their average possession up at their own 35. That shit matters.


Wilson didn't target a single receiver more than four times, electing instead to spread the ball around to all the hungry chicks in his nest. His three leading receivers (Kearse, Willson, Baldwin) transformed their 11 combined targets into 10 catches (90.9 comp%) for 235 yards (21.4 YPA), and three touchdowns. Say what you want about volume, there was no beating the efficiency of Seattle's passing attack.


Seattle has now won seven straight games by double digits, tying an NFL record. They're 15-1 in primetime games under Pete Carroll and are 25-2 at home in the Russell Wilson Era. What we're seeing is the best top-to-bottom roster in the football universe hitting their peak at the exact right time. The Seahawks have, in three short years, released Seattle from four decades of "maybe next year" prison and turned the city into the NFL's Mordor. It's possible to win here, it's just not very fucking likely.

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10 January 2015

 

It's a Trap!


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29 December 2014

 

Beastquake II

SB Nation has 13 things to appreciate about Marshawn Lynch's amazing run:

#3 is a side-by-side comparison with the original.

#6 "Waddling with speed might be the best way to describe Lynch's running style. He doesn't look like a speedster or even like a natural runner at all. Instead, he runs with a very wide base and maintains his balance at all times. That's why many times you'll see four, five or six players trying to gang tackle him all the time, and Lynch remaining upright at the end of the play with forward progress stopped."

#8 is a gif that lets you follow Ricardo Lockette and marvel at his speed.

#13 "Earl Thomas made the best effort to tackle Marshawn Lynch."


Bonus: Steve Raible's radio call.

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15 November 2014

 

Earl Thomas AMA

My two favorite bits from Earl Thomas's AMA (Ask Me Anything) on Reddit:




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07 October 2014

 

Fake Punt FTW

From Fieldgulls, about last night's Seattle @ Washington game:


With the game 17-10 and the 'Skins gaining confidence, Seattle found another drive stalling out. Taking advantage of good field position, the 'Hawks pushed the ball into Washington territory before stalling out at the Redskins' 35. Staring at a 4th and 1 and leading by just one score, Pete Carroll sent out the field goal unit. That's when my favorite thing happened.

Instead of receiving the snap and placing it down for a Steven Hauschka field goal, as per the yoozh, holder-extraordinaire Jon muhfuggin' Ryan took a ran a got dang power sweep and bullied forward for a first down. He also pinned five punts inside the 20 (including tumbling one out of bounds at the 1) so we can just go ahead and elect him to public office whenever.

Inspired by the plucky orange one, the Seahawks regathered their strength and plunged themselves to the hilt into the beleaguered Redskins defense. They capped the drive with a swing pass to Marshawn Lynch who found himself eight yards from pay dirt and one man to beat. He shrugged off the hapless linebacker like so much dust on his FUBU jacket. It is startling how automatic it has become that Lynch won't be tackled one-on-one in the open field.

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25 September 2014

 

Russell Wilson Haiku

By Peter King:


Russell Wilson wins.
He just does. No dazzling stats.
Low maintenance too.

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31 May 2014

 

Quote of the Day: The News Tribune

From an article about the Great Punt Returner Debate:


"Maybe you can remember about this time two years ago, when the crucial debate regarding the Seattle Seahawks was whether they could scrape together a functioning quarterback from the trio of Matt Flynn, Tarvaris Jackson and a little-known third-round rookie named Russell Wilson.

Which among them might give the Hawks the best chance to improve, even slightly, on their 7-9 season of 2011?

Now, fans are getting heated about which All-Pro player they might use to return punts.

This is what is known as a 'first world' problem of a defending Super Bowl champion."

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23 May 2014

 

Quote of the Day: The News Tribune

From an article about the Seahawks' visit to the White House, written as a letter to the President:


"The tradition of champions visiting the White House calls for them to offer their host an honorary jersey, say, or a team jacket. At the risk of getting too personal, Mr. President, I wonder about the sheer size of your sports-apparel closet.

Since your 2009 inauguration, you’ve received clothing bearing the logos of five NFL teams, five MLB teams, three NBA teams, four NHL teams, five NCAA men’s basketball teams, four NCAA football teams, three WNBA teams (including the Seattle Storm, in 2010), and three NCAA women’s basketball teams.

How much UConn stuff does one person need?"

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09 May 2014

 

Quote of the Day: Twitter

Seen here:


"What happened, Seattle? You actually drafted someone!"


[If you haven't been following the NFL draft, the Seahawks "traded down" twice before finally drafting a player.]

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17 February 2014

 

This Is Fun!

A compilation of "experts" talking about how Seattle would lose the Superbowl:




[h/t Seattle Seahawks Tumblr]

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15 February 2014

 

Quote of the Day: Tumblr

Seen here:

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09 February 2014

 

Quote of the Day: Seattle Times

From Ten random thoughts about the Seahawks’ Super Bowl victory:


#9 Seattle has scored six touchdowns in its Super Bowl history — five by players from Pac-12 schools. And Washington leads the list with two — Jerramy Stevens scored Seattle’s only TD in Super Bowl XL on a pass from Matt Hasselbeck, and Jermaine Kearse scored last Sunday on a 23-yard pass from Russell Wilson.

Seattle’s other Pac-12 TDs were from California (Marshawn Lynch’s 1-yard run), Stanford (Doug Baldwin’s 14-yard reception) and USC (Malcolm Smith’s 69-yard interception return). The one interloper? Percy Harvin, who attended Florida of the Southeastern Conference and scored on an 87-yard kickoff return.


Bonus!

#1 Somewhat lost in the hubbub of the week was that Russell Wilson became just the second African-American quarterback to win a Super Bowl, joining Doug Williams with the Washington Redskins in 1988.

The fact it was lost in the shuffle, though, was also generally regarded as a sign of progress. Wilson was rarely asked about it during the week, unlike Williams, for whom it was a constant topic.

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