Seahawks 13 Cardinals 10

The Seattle Seahawks went into week three looking for their first win of the season.

They found it.

Seattle defeated division rival Arizona Cardinals 13-10 in front of the roaring 12th man. It was an ugly win, no doubt. Against any sort of elite team, that performance won't cut it. But against the Cardinals, it was just enough.

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To Continue...Tarvaris Jackson continues to impress me. Despite being sacked four times in the first half, he stayed composed. You could instantly see the chemistry between him and former Viking team mate, Sidney Rice. Tarvaris found him early and often in the passing game. Rice finished with over 100 yards receiving in his Seahawks debut.

But the offense continued to struggle nonetheless. Particularly, the running game. The new look offensive line had failed to impress this year. Marshawn Lynch simply meets a brick wall of defenders every time he gets the ball. There is no rhythm whatsoever, and the play calling has grown fairly stale.

Immediately after a big connection between Jackson and Rice, two predictable runs put the offense in an unmanageable third and long. They need to follow up those big plays with attempts at ANOTHER big play.

But the defense once again shined in Century Link Field. The defensive line continued to stifle opposing running backs. Kevin Kolb was baited into two INTs by the Seahawks secondary. Kam Chancellor and Marcus Trufant each had one a piece. If there is one point of optimism in an otherwise dismal season thus far, it would be Gus Bradley's defense.

Seattle faces a tough test today when the Atlanta Falcons come marching in to Century Link, where they defeated the Seahawks handily last season. But Atlanta has struggled so far, and there could be an opportunity to steal a win at home. However, Seattle will surely be underdogs in today's contest.

Reach Jeffrey Giuliani at jeffrey.giuliani@hotmail.com

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Steelers 24 Seahawks 0

This is getting ugly fast.

The Seattle Seahawks dropped their second game of the season, falling 24-0 to the Pittsburgh Steelers. The struggling Seahawks found no remorse in hostile Heinz Field. Tarvaris Jackson once again found himself under siege, being sacked five times for the second consecutive week. The supposedly improved offensive line look dazed and confused against Pittsburgh's monster front seven. The two rookies on the right side, Moffit and Carpenter, are taking their lumps early in their NFL careers.
To Continue...Pete Carroll and the Seahawks coaches have to open up the playbook. They won't win any games if they make Tarvaris check it down every single play. Jackson has a big arm, and the WRs have size. They must take some shots down field, or this is going to be a very long season.

The defense however, does give some encouragement. Despite defending short fields for the first two games, they have played well. The front four on the defensive line pack plenty of punch, and provide a formidable run defense that ranks 15th in the league. In particular, Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor have shown vast improvement at the safety position. They have looked explosive and intelligent in run defense.

The Seahawks 0-2 start, while not particularly surprising, is all the same disappointing. The problem is, the Seahawks have talent. There are some good football players on this team. Whether or not that talent is capable of winning games has yet to be seen. Seattle opens up at home today against the Arizona Cardinals, a winnable game.

Reach Jeffrey Giuliani at jeffrey.giuliani@hotmail.com

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49ers 33 Seahawks 17

It was a rough day for the Seahawks, as they drop their season opener to the San Francisco 49ers. They were marred all day by untimely penalties and poor field position. The first half was indeed a lackluster performance by the offense, held to under 50 yards in the half and held scoreless. The defense however, was a bright spot indeed. All throughout the game, the 49ers had great field position and they held the 49ers offense to only 16 points in the first half.To Continue...The run defense in particular gives disappointed Hawk's fans something to be optimistic about. They held Frank Gore to 59 yards on 22 carries, a 2.7 average. Despite the uninspired performance in the first half, the Seahawks roared back in the second. After stopping the 49ers on their first second half possession, Seattle marched right down the field on a 56 yard scoring drive, with Tarvaris Jackson hitting Golden Tate on a quick slant for a touchdown. The stale play calling suddenly became exciting, with a little razzle dazzle reverse to Ben Obomanu. Where was this in the first half??

Late in the 4th quarter, the score was 19-10. The Hawks desperately needed a score, and they got one. Tarvaris Jackson hit Doug Baldwin on a quick slant. Baldwin hit the gas, and outran the 49ers defense for a 55 yard TD. The Seahawks were finally clawed their way back into the game. It wouldn't last. On the ensuing kickoff, Ted Ginn Jr rumbled 102 yards down field for a touchdown. After a Seahawks three and out, they punted to Ginn. Bad idea. He took that kick 55 yards for a touchdown, thus sealing the game.

They fell apart down the stretch, and it is unfortunate that they have an incredibly tough match up next week in Pittsburgh. Seattle may very well find themselves o-2 after next Sunday.

Reach Jeffrey Giuliani at jeffrey.giuliani@hotmail.com

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TOP 9: Ways to Improve Seattle Sports

Contrary to popular belief, Seattle Sports are not perfect. Shocking, I know.

9) Address Transportation Issues on Game Days

Whether you’re going to a Seahawks, Mariners, Huskies, or Sounders game, chances are you will run into a heavy dose of slow moving traffic. It’s inevitable.

Seattle has major transportation issues as it is, but those issues often seem magnified when we go watch our favorite teams in person. From the limited parking spaces at outrageous prices (Dude, forget it. I’m not paying $40 to park in your crummy lot), to the lack of public riding options, something needs to be done to help the average fan get to and from the game.
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While the Link Light Rail is a start, it pales in comparison to Portland’s public transportation. In Portland, the city’s Max light rail runs throughout the downtown metro area and out into the extending suburbs. Fans can ride to and from games at the Rose Garden arena, or park blocks away for free and make the final leg of the trip aboard the Max.

8) Stop Complaining about the Mariners owner, Hiroshi Yamauchi

Half of you probably didn’t even know who Hiroshi Yamauchi was until now. Exactly the supposed problem.

Yamauchi is the owner of Nintendo, which owns the Mariners. Yamauchi has only stepped in the United States once… and that was to officially buy the team. In short, he’s not a very involved owner.

His lack of involvement and appearances (along with the Mariner prolonged playoff drought) have inspired some people to create the group “Fire Nintendo” which has a ludicrous goal of getting rid of, you guessed it, Nintendo. I was actually asked to join this group, but declined on this reason.

If a dude is writing out $100 Million dollar checks for the team salary each year and keeping the Mariners safely in Seattle, I don’t care what he does. I just know that I don’t want to go through the Clay Bennett fiasco again.

Read this for more, um, “analyzing” from Seattlesportsnet on Fire Nintendo.

7) Send “Donkey From Shrek” Out on a Raft Directed towards Australia

Eric Wedge: “Hey Figgy! You’ve really done a great job sitting on the bench the last couple weeks and I think you deserve a vacation; More specifically, a sea vacation. Get it? Because a Mariner is a type of sailor and, y’now, we’re the Mariners and all, so, yeah.”

Donkey: “Gee whiz coach! I would love to do something like that! Am I going on a Yacht or Cruise Ship?”

Wedge: “Oh, something better. Me and Jackie Z will pick you up at 2:00 AM tomorrow. Thanks for all your hard work.”

Instead of loading him up on a cruise ship or yacht, Jack Zduriencik knocks Donkey out and puts him on a raft directed towards Australia. This is an easy, cost efficient way to get rid of annoying players. This new idea could change baseball.

6) Open up the Upper Bowl for Sounders Games

Every Sounders game in its 2 ½ years history has been a sellout… well, sort of. CenturyLink Field can hold about 67,000 people, but the team has always closed off the upper bowl lowering the capacity to 35,700.

Think about the plusses of opening the top half. Yeah, you might not earn a sellout every game, but does that really matter? You would sell more tickets and concessions, which equals more money.

Until the good people at the former Seahawks Stadium opt to fill EVERY SINGLE SEAT in the place for Sounders matches, we won’t truly have sold out any games at all.

5) Give Aaron Levine more credit

C’mon Seattle. Let’s give this Q13 Fox Sports director a little more credit.

Most Sports shows on the news are unbiased and merely just read a box score and follow along with the highlight reel. They’re boring and lack any interesting statements.

However, there is an exception to that rule. Aaron Levine’s nightly show, Q it up Sports is totally Seattle biased, will hate on guys like Clay Bennett and Howard Shultz, and WILL tell us what he TRULY thinks about a certain player. All these factors add up to make the show interesting. Guys like Levine are a dying breed in this country, and it’s time we recognize him a bit more.

4) Replace Key Arena

Yeah, I said it. The Key needs to go.

One person will say, “Well, why don’t we just renovate it? That won’t cost as much as building a new arena.” Renovating Key Arena would be like putting 20 pounds of makeup on an ugly chick. Eventually, we’ll see what’s under there.

Plus, didn’t we just renovate it 15 years ago? What did that do for us?

And don’t tell me Key Arena is just fine and can hold a modern day NBA team. Compared to the Portland’s Rose Garden and Chicago’s American Airlines arena, the Key is an absolute dump.

We don’t want to go through this renovation process every two decades, so let’s just nip this thing in the bud right now and replace the aging monstrosity with a newer, bigger, better-looking monstrosity. Yes, it will cost money, but it’s worth it for the civic value the new arena will provide.

3) Hire Gus Johnson to be the Mariners’ Play-by-play announcer

I don’t really have a problem with current M’s play by play announcer Dave Sims. He’s fairly entertaining and knows what he’s talking about. But he’s nothing compared to this man:

Gus Johnson, excitement extraordinaire.

I don’t care how much it takes to pull Johnson from FOX Sports. Pay him $20 Million, maybe $30 Million. All I know is he can make anything exciting, regardless of the situation.

Felix strikes someone out? Johnson freaks out.

Mike Carp hits a home run? Johnson explodes with euphoria.

If the Mariners magically convinced Johnson to work for them, I would watch every single game, hands down. Get ‘er done, Howard Lincoln.

2) Get rid of the Starbucks Drinking, Bike Lane Riding, “I’m better than you AND sports” People.

Okay, so maybe that’s a little harsh. But still, these people are the bane of a Seattle Sports fan’s existence.

GROTSDBLRIBTYASP are seemingly the individuals who shoot down every proposed tax increase that even remotely relates to sports (no matter how much money would be coming to them on the back end). You think in someplace like sports crazed Philadelphia you’ll find large groups of people like this? Not a chance. This is strictly Seattle based.

The problem with Seattle is there isn’t enough sports passion. Why? Two things. One, the city is known for its culture and art, which are usually a conflicting force to sports. And two, the city has gotten so used to mediocrity from its teams that Seattle has accepted that and grown numb to sports.

How do we fix it? Here are two ideas.

a) Have the GROTSDBLRIBTYASP warm up to sports. Bring your anti-sports friend to a game and make him/her realize how fun and entertaining they are.

b) Have one of our major league teams (Mariners or Seahawks) go on a legitimate title run in the coming years to fire up EVERYONE in the city for sports again.

1) Challenge Clay Bennett to a draw for the rights to the Oklahoma City Thunder

Step One: Fly Down to Oklahoma and knock on Clay Bennett’s door.

Step Two: Challenge him to a draw at high noon for the rights to the OKC Thunder. Bennett can’t back down from an ol’ Western style fight, so he accepts.

Step Three: He challenges you to 12 paces and you oblige. But at six paces you stop, turn around, rip off your shirt revealing a Shawn Kemp jersey, and obliterate Bennett by using a rocket launcher from the video game “Star Wars Battlefront II”.

Step Four: After that you basically just take the team back to Seattle and tell them to play there and they have to do what you say because you own them. It’s just business, folks.

Reach Nathan Parsons at nathanparsons98@yahoo.com Read more

MARINERS: We have Life

I have to be honest here. After the Mariners went on their franchise record losing streak and fell out of playoff contention, I lost all interest in the team. What was the point of tuning into the games? Listen to the groans of Mariners fans as the team fails to score any runs?

I decided to put the Mariners in the rearview mirror with college football set to begin and the NFL Lockout lifted. The M’s just weren’t worth my time anymore.

But then Eric Wedge decided to accept the facts.

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Wedge realized that the Mariners aren’t going to win the division, let alone have a winning record. So, he and Jack Zduriencik decided to trade away starting pitchers Doug Fister and Erik Bedard in exchange for some much needed batters with the names of Casper Wells, Trayvon Robinson and Chih-Hsien Chiang.

The trades have already paid dividends, as Wells has a .359 AVG and 4 Homeruns through 11 games and Robinson having a .259 AVG through 8 games. Chiang is a lower level prospect that we should see playing in the majors soon.

But the real reason why the Mariners are 7-5 in their last 12 games is not all on the solid performance of Wells. It’s largely from a guy that came out of nowhere and has given Mariners fans hope better times are coming.

His name Mike Carp.

With the Mariners starving for offense, they have had to go to all corners of their farm system to find decent bats. Enter Mike Carp, who was called up from AAA Tacoma on July 17. Keep in mind that Carp played 14 games with the big league team back in June, only to flop on his face by batting .200 and not hitting a homerun.

But it’s been a different story here in July and August. In the 24 games he’s played in the last two months, Carp has collected a .371 AVG, 15 Runs, 6 Homeruns, and a beastly 26 RBI. The man leads the Majors in RBI for the month of August with 17 and is currently on a Major League leading 15-game hit streak.

His defining moment of the season was last night as Carp belted 2 homeruns to help the Mariners beat the Toronto Blue Jays 6-5. The emotion showed by the fans at Safeco the last two weeks has been absent most of the season and is a breath of fresh air.

While it’s been nice to see some offense and the Mariners win, what Mike Carp has done for me and likely a few other fans is revitalize the interest in the team. I’m not just wasting my time watching the Mariners lose anymore, rather watching them compete with a couple new bats.

I don't know how long this offensive surge will last, but I'm going to enjoy it as long as possible. Enjoy the little things with the rest of Mariners baseball 2011.

Reach Nathan Parsons at nathanparsons98@yahoo.com Read more

Rapid reactions: Seahawks Chargers

Well, Seattle certainly is getting off to a slow start. Here's the main events of the first half.

• Tarvaris and the first team offense struggled out of the gate
• Russell Okung was injured early in the first quarter and carted off to the locker room.
• Phillip Rivers marched right down the field in a ten play, 89 yard drive in his first and only series
• The Seattle offense never made it past the 50 yard line
• Kelly Jennings was beat on go route by Vincent Jackson, further cementing the fact that he is a useless CB.

More to follow.

Reach Jeffrey Giuliani at jeffrey.giuliani@hotmail.com

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SEAHAWKS: Anyone Ever Heard of Josh Portis?

Really, have any of you ever heard of the Seahawks’ third string quarterback?

I sure didn’t until Aaron Levine mentioned him on his nightly show, Q it Up Sports. Levine described Portis as extremely athletic and an interesting storyline, so I thought it would be a good idea to investigate this man further.

Portis attended three high schools and then three colleges before he found his way to Seattle. He even talked about that in an interview with Seahawks.com, stating that, "It's been a journey for me. It's not a regular three-year, four-year college career. It's been school, to school, to school. I had obstacles that I overcame. It's made me a better person and I'm out here enjoying football. I'm playing football."

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He stated during Levine’s interview that he knows multiple offenses, as his college career consisted of going to Florida for a year (before Tim Tebow), Maryland, and then finally California University which is in Pennsylvania, not California.

In 2009 at California University, he passed for a school-record 3,421 yards and 36 touchdowns. But rather than enter the NFL Draft, Portis decided another season at the Division II school would be beneficial. Last season, he completed 62 percent of his passes for 2,651 yards and 33 TDs.

After that performance, the Seahawks decided to give Portis a shot at making the team as an undrafted free agent; he hasn’t disappointed.

“I am really, really excited about Josh,” Pete Carroll said. “He’s just been a real pleasant surprise, so we’re real excited about him being the third guy right now.

“Josh is a guy that I’ve known for so long, since he was a kid,” Carroll also said. “And now to see him after all those travels that he’s been through – whether it was high school or college.”

So how much will we be seeing him in the preseason game, where we can really see if he’s a viable backup QB?

“He’ll play a lot in the San Diego game, so we’re looking forward to seeing him get out on the field,” Carroll said. “He’s just got those normal humps he’s got to get over and it’s going to take some time. But all the raw stuff is there. We’re excited about him.”

It seems like Pete Carroll is putting a lot of time and effort into Josh, and I wouldn’t be surprised if a battle for the back-up quarterback spot between Portis and Charlie Whitehurst begins to ensue after today’s game.

But let’s be realistic. Portis will probably end up being the 3rd string practice squad guy this season, but there’s always the possibility of him being the no. 2 guy next season if Whitehurst doesn’t come back.

Needless to say, just like Pete Carroll I’m excited about watching Josh Portis play tonight vs. the San Diego Chargers at 5:00 on ESPN.

Reach Nathan Parsons at nathanparsons98@yahoo.com Read more

SEAHAWKS: What to Look for When Watching an NFL Preseason Game

It's almost here...

Throughout its history, the NFL preseason has received a bad rap because of well, it’s meaningless. The results of the game have no impact whatsoever on the regular season. You could go 4-0 in the preseason and go 0-16 in the regular season just like the 2008 Detroit Lions did.

But these games actually hold some merit if you watch them the right way. Follow these rules and the preseason could be entertaining to you.

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1) Observe how well the offensive line blocks

Last year, the Seahawks offensive line played terribly in the preseason… and guess what! They played terribly in the regular season too. One of the main goals of these four exhibition games is for the O-line to develop cohesiveness with one another and not just be a jumbled mess of men not knowing how each other blocks.

This preseason is more important than ever for the Seahawks offensive line. The general projection is that two rookies will start on the right side of the line (John Moffitt and James Carpenter) and they need all the in game experience they can get.

2) Watch the rookies

This is the first chance to see the newly drafted rookies in NFL action, so take it all in. Plus, the preseason is when low drafted rookies are likely to receive the most playing time. These games can help determine whether or not a certain rookie is ready for the NFL, physically and mentally.

But c’mon, as fans, let’s be realistic. All we want to see is whether or not the rookies truly match up with their new Madden 12 ratings. Right? Right.

3) Get to know the no names

Clever title, I know.

If a guy you’ve never even seen before stands out to you with his solid play, chances are the coaches saw him too and they’re giving him a serious look at making the team. And who knows? Maybe this guy will be the next David Hawthorne and come out of nowhere and become a reliable starter.

The best part to this is down the road you can pull the ol’ “I SAW HIM! I predicted he would become a Pro Bowler! GIMME’ SOME CREDIT HERE!” That’s what it’s all about.

4) Pay attention to the position battles and storylines

Before the game, look at certain Seattle Sports Blogs (heh) or really just any news source for the top storylines and position battles that make the 4th quarters interesting. I can’t really explain it any more than that.

Speaking of position battles and storylines, I’ll have a post on that before the game tomorrow.

Reach Nathan Parsons at nathanparsons98@yahoo.com Read more

SEAHAWKS: Preseason Ready to Kick Off vs. the San Diego Chargers on ESPN

After an off season of turmoil and strife, football is finally back. Although at times it looked to be in jeopardy, we will see our first taste of NFL football since Super Bowl 45. Tomorrow at 5:00, the new look Seahawks will fly down to face the perennial underachieving San Diego Charger in their first preseason game broadcast on ESPN.

In the past, the Seahawsk have not been big players in free agency, which meant watching the same team you saw last year in a meaningless game. And while this game still counts for nothing, there is an unusual intrigue about this one. We will see many Seahawks make their debut in the blue and green.

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Tarvaris Jackson is at the helm for the Seahawks, after claiming the starting job before he even boarded the plane for Seattle. Everybody is very pessimistic about Jackson, but I have faith that Tarvaris can be a solid QB for Seattle... more to come on that later. Sidney Rice and Zach Miller will make their debut appearances as well. They bring size to the Seahawks offense, and I get the feeling Miller will become Jackson's favorite, most reliable target just like he was in Oakland to Jason Campbell.

But to the other side of the field. The San Diego Chargers, statistically, had the top offense and top defense last year. But porous special teams sunk them, including Leon Washington's memorable performance in last year's match up. But don't be fooled. San Diego will make a comeback this year... expect them to win the AFC West handily. Phillip Rivers will likely only play a series or two, but that one series will probably depress Seahawks fan. Expect him to eat Seattle's defense alive.

One more thing to be on the lookout for in Thursday's game. With there being no non-mandatory OTAs or mini camps this off season, the new additions have only had one week of practice with their new teams across the league. The level of play might not be up to the standards that we are used to. But really, after the ridiculous lockout, do we even care? I sure don't. Let's just kick back and enjoy some football!

Reach Jeffrey Giuliani at jeffrey.giuliani@hotmail.com Read more

SEAHAWKS: Truly Analyzing the 2011 Schedule

WEEK 1: at San Fransisco 49ers
The 49ers quarterback situation is still in shambles, so Joe Montana comes out of retirement. But he can only do so much at 55.
SEA 27, SF 13 (1-0)

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WEEK 2: at Pittsburgh Steelers
James Harrison runs the Seahawks out of stadium with his lame insults.
SEA 6, PIT 34 (1-1)

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WEEK 3: Arizona Cardinals
Kevin Kolb realizes how big of a mistake going to Arizona was as Aaron Curry sacks him 12 times while foaming at the mouth.
SEA 23, ARZ 10 (2-1)

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WEEK 4: Atlanta Falcons
Matt Ryan decides to go to the Woodland Park Zoo, steal all the falcons, and have them pluck up each Seahawks’ player one by one.
SEA 17, ATL 31 (2-2)

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WEEK 5: New York Giants
The Giants step on the Seahawks. (I’ll be here all day, folks.)
SEA 13, NYG 27 (2-3)

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BYE
While going to get his khaki pants from the dryer’s, Pete Carroll sees T.J. Houshmandzadeh eating trash out of a dumpster.

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WEEK 7: at Cleveland Browns
Earl Thomas makes a light hearted white people joke, and Peyton Hillis proceeds to break his face.
SEA 20, CLE 21 (2-4)

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WEEK 8: Cincinnati Bengals
Carson Palmer comes out of retirement just to impress his former college coach, Pete Carroll, but throws 6 interceptions.
SEA 32, CIN 13 (3-4)

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WEEK 9: at Dallas Cowboys
Demarcus Ware destroys the Seahawks plane as it crashes into an oil well.
SEA 10, DAL 20 (3-5)

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WEEK 10: Baltimore Ravens
I have no somewhat witty line for this one. The Ravens are the worst possible match-up for the Seahawks.
SEA 6, BAL 41 (3-6)

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WEEK 11: at St. Louis Rams
Los Angeles decides to annex the Rams during the middle of the game. Luckily, all the players escape as the roof gets caved in Kingdome style.
SEA 17, STL 13 (4-6)

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WEEK 12: Washington Redskins
Marshawn Lynch decides he has something against politics and obliterates the men from Washington.
SEA 24, WAS 6 (5-6)

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WEEK 13: Philadelphia Eagles
Despite blaring “Who let the Dogs Out” through CenturyLink Field’s speakers, Michael Vick lights up the Seahawks.
SEA 23, PHI 42 (5-7)

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WEEK 14: St. Louis Rams
Monday Night Football, in Quest Field, vs. our top rival? Forget it. The 12th man brings the noise.
SEA 20, STL 13 (6-7)

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WEEK 15: at Chicago Bears
Recently engagement break up man Jay Cutler takes his anger out on the Seahawks. Plus… it’s cold.
SEA 6, CHI 23 (6-8)

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WEEK 16: San Fransisco 49ers
With 49-year old Steve Young not working out, the 49ers quarterback situation reaches a crisis. Bring in Trent Dilfer.
SEA 17, SF 13 (7-8)

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WEEK 17: Arizona Cardinals
After Cris Collinsworth’s head explodes from a possibility that the Seahawks could win the NFC West AGAIN with a non-winning record, the Seahawks take it to the Cardinals.
SEA 24, ARZ 20 (8-8)

Reach Nathan Parsons at nathanparsons98@yahoo.com Read more