Monday, December 27, 2004
DIDDLY-YEAH!
The Seahawks have given us a happy Monday, as well as a postseason berth. The Seahawks, enigmatic as they may be, are in the playoffs. With an injured Terrell Owens handicapping the Eagles and with the Falcons looking quite beatable at times, this NFC playoff picture is wide open. As for other sports, the Sonics return to action, as well as the WHL and the AHL.
MARINERS
I don't think I can fully comprehend my level of anticipation for pitchers and catchers reporting in just over a month and a half. I'm giddy for it, and I'm even giddy to hear the same crap over and over again once we roll around to late March and we're longing for the games to finally start.
SEAHAWKS
For my thoughts on the game (and MUCH more), scroll down three posts or click here if archived.
For Jeremy's thoughts on the passing of Reggie White, scroll down five posts or click here.
For Jeremy's breakdown of the NFC playoff scenarios if the Seahawks win the NFC West, scroll down two posts or click here.
Since I'm pretty spent after the game post (it's a lot of stuff), I'll be pretty short with these articles, maybe hit on the stuff I missed in the main post.
Here's the Farnsworth piece. I mentioned in the game post that all of Arizona's touchdown passes were from outside of the red zone. What I failed to mention was the Seahawks dropping three interceptions -- one by Solomon Bates and two by Ken Hamlin. In all likelihood, Bates should definitely have had his one, and Hamlin should have definitely had one out of the two. One could say it just comes down to making the plays, but the game would have been a lot smoother of a sailing if even one of those picks were made. But we know better; it's never easy with this team, so why should they start now?
Here's the Times piece on the game as a whole. It's a fairly concise and chronological analysis of the topsy-turviness of the game.
There's more about the defensive drops in this Times article, which can be mistaken for The Longest Notebook Article Ever. Hamlin was disappointed over his dropping of two potential interceptions. In somewhat of a personal story, it reminds me of a game at Central Kitsap my senior year, where I hit a double into the gap in one of my early at-bats, but later struck out twice (I know there were probably runners on in both of the strikeout at-bats, with two outs in at least one of them). Back at school, I came out of the locker room about to go home, and our stat girl complimented me for the double, but I was an ass and I was kinda ticked off when I replied, "did you see the two times I struck out?!" Sorry, Jamie. The connection here? It's one thing to be a perfectionist. But it doesn't mix with laziness. Ken Hamlin is playing pro football. I'm writing about it for free, and cranking out self-loathing in the process.
Using the Times notebook article and Farnsworth's notebook piece, I was finally able to determine that Koren Robinson did indeed get onto the playing field, though he did not catch a pass. In Farnsworth's piece, he notes that Shaun Alexander leads the league in rushing touchdowns and has regained the NFL's rushing lead. The Seahawks are 22-5 when Shaun gets at least 25 carries. RUN SHAUN RUN!! All across the land, Shaun's fantasy football owners shouted with glee. Ken Hamlin also got his first career sack.
Let's face it. For the next few years, this team needs Shaun Alexander as well as his mom. Shaun Alexander broke the single-season franchise records for rushing touchdowns and rushing yardage in yesterday's game. As for the article about Shaun's mom, if I had a job, I'd help pay for her plane tickets to be at the Seahawks' games for as long as they play this season. Carol rules. Mrs. McNabb has nothing on her.
Not to be forgotten, Darrell Jackson was busy breaking a franchise record as well. Does anyone remember the last time this guy dropped a pass? Better to stop dropping balls late than never. That was a hell of a 53-yard play though. I know I was screaming at my TV, but not in anger like I have done so many times with this team. Jackson now has the franchise's single-season record for catches, and is just 107 yards short of Steve Largent's franchise record for receiving yards in a single season. Jackson had 101 yards of receiving yesterday.
There are two articles (Thiel and Kelley, respectively) on Trent Dilfer's seven-yard fourth-quarter run on 3rd-and-6 that got the Seahawks' final first down and the right to take three knees and end it. Art Thiel furthered boosted his stock in my eyes as he successfully used the word "crapcan" in a Seattle daily. Thiel points out that some teams with not-so-good regular season records in this town have gotten into the playoffs and/or caught some fire late in the season. The Seahawks haven't caught fire, but with the playoffs, you never know. Kelley's piece is more on Dilfer and the play itself. Was it pretty? Far from it. Same goes for the offense of the Baltimore Ravens the year that Dilfer got his ring. Yesterday, in the end, Dilfer plum got the job done. The longest seven-yard run Coach Holmgren has seen in his life got the job done.
Les Carpenter says the Seahawk defense is trying. They're depleted, but they try, and right now if it's all they've got, at least they're giving it. He puts a more positive spin on the defense's output yesterday, most of which (first three quarters) was quite good.
After reading all of the articles, I'd have to say my two most underrated plays of the game were the Bobby Engram 49-yard punt return that helped set up the Seahawks' first score, and the open-field tackle that Marquand Manuel had on a third down. Well, I guess those two plays and all the fumbles the Seahawks managed to force.
Just for tonight...GO EAGLES!!
BASKETBALL
The Marvin Williams Watch
The North Carolina Tar Heels are home against UNC-Wilmington tomorrow and Cleveland State on Thursday.
Huskies
Washington is off until opening Pac-10 play on New Year's Eve against the Cal Bears.
Bulldogs
Gonzaga is on the road with a game in Oklahoma City tomorrow against 3rd-ranked Oklahoma State and a game in Columbia on Thursday against Missouri.
Sonics
The Sonics have some "green" plays where green means go, and they just go nuts and quick. On some other plays, they improvise and make stuff up. There's been a few things said about how the Sonics play offense, whether it's being unselfish, whether it's a combination of mazes of screens and picks, whether it has tinges of European-style basketball in it. I almost can't wait until after the season to see what the basketball wizards will say about the style that this team is playing. For me, it's high in scoring, the shooters are great, and the team is finally outrebounding other teams.
Also, Antonio Daniels plans to return to the Sonics for tomorrow's game after a bouts with a combination of pneumonia, bronchitis, and acute tonsillitis. That had to be pure hell. The beginning of the article is almost hilarious, however, as it seems the Sonics were basically keeping away from Daniels like he had cooties or something, just giving him fist taps, and Ray Allen using the word "quarantine." But it's necessary, though. You don't want one guy's illness messing up the entire team. On another note, the Sonics are embarking on a 10-day, 17-game stretch.
Upcoming...
Tonight at Utah
Tomorrow vs. Philadelphia
Thursday at Atlanta
New Year's Eve at Charlotte
HOCKEY
Two scores from the World Junior Championships. Info is short because the official site never posted boxscores.
Also, USAHockey.com will be streaming audio for the remaining games in the tournament where Team USA is involved.
Sweden shut out Germany, 6-0. Linus Persson and Johannes Salmonsson both scored twice, and Christopher Heino-Lindberg stopped all 25 shots he faced for the Swedes. Thomas Greiss stopped 31 in the German net.
Switzerland shut out Belarus, 5-0. The Swiss got their first goal via the wraparound, and that was all they needed. Michael Tobler stopped all 19 shots, and Stepan Goryachevskikh stopped 32 for Belarus.
Upcoming for the World Juniors...
Tonight: Canada vs. Sweden, Czech Republic vs. Russia, United States vs. Switzerland, Finland vs. Slovakia
Tomorrow: Germany vs. Canada, Russia vs. Belarus
Wednesday: Czech Republic vs. Switzerland, Finland vs. Sweden, Belarus vs. United States, Slovakia vs. Germany
Thursday: Canada vs. Finland, Switzerland vs. Russia, United States vs. Czech Republic, Sweden vs. Slovakia
New Year's Day: medal round begins
If no work stoppage took place, the Canucks would be playing their 36th game of the season tonight, hosting the Philadelphia Flyers at the Garage in Vancouver. The Canucks' 36th game last year wasn't a very good one. Luckily I had relatives in town and my bro-in-law brought the PS2 and I'd started playing it midway through the game (I'd forgotten to bring my TV home for the break, if memory serves right). I was too fickle that night. Anyway, the Canucks had a 2-1 lead on goals by Brad May and Daniel Sedin before the Oilers rattled off the next five goals unanswered. It wasn't Alex Auld's night. The loss brought the Canucks to 19-9-6-2, good for 46 points.
Upcoming for the teams usually tracked in this space...
Tonight: Lethbridge at Seattle, Manitoba at Cleveland
Tomorrow: Lethbridge at Vancouver, Spokane at Everett, Portland at Prince George, Manitoba at Cleveland
Wednesday: Everett at Seattle, Portland at Prince George
New Year's Eve: Seattle at Portland, Chicago at Manitoba, Tri-City at Puget Sound
New Year's Day: Spokane at Vancouver, Seattle at Everett, Portland at Tri-City, Tri-City at Puget Sound
---
Enjoy your Monday, everyone. Even the people that are at work without a long holiday break.
MARINERS
I don't think I can fully comprehend my level of anticipation for pitchers and catchers reporting in just over a month and a half. I'm giddy for it, and I'm even giddy to hear the same crap over and over again once we roll around to late March and we're longing for the games to finally start.
SEAHAWKS
For my thoughts on the game (and MUCH more), scroll down three posts or click here if archived.
For Jeremy's thoughts on the passing of Reggie White, scroll down five posts or click here.
For Jeremy's breakdown of the NFC playoff scenarios if the Seahawks win the NFC West, scroll down two posts or click here.
Since I'm pretty spent after the game post (it's a lot of stuff), I'll be pretty short with these articles, maybe hit on the stuff I missed in the main post.
Here's the Farnsworth piece. I mentioned in the game post that all of Arizona's touchdown passes were from outside of the red zone. What I failed to mention was the Seahawks dropping three interceptions -- one by Solomon Bates and two by Ken Hamlin. In all likelihood, Bates should definitely have had his one, and Hamlin should have definitely had one out of the two. One could say it just comes down to making the plays, but the game would have been a lot smoother of a sailing if even one of those picks were made. But we know better; it's never easy with this team, so why should they start now?
Here's the Times piece on the game as a whole. It's a fairly concise and chronological analysis of the topsy-turviness of the game.
There's more about the defensive drops in this Times article, which can be mistaken for The Longest Notebook Article Ever. Hamlin was disappointed over his dropping of two potential interceptions. In somewhat of a personal story, it reminds me of a game at Central Kitsap my senior year, where I hit a double into the gap in one of my early at-bats, but later struck out twice (I know there were probably runners on in both of the strikeout at-bats, with two outs in at least one of them). Back at school, I came out of the locker room about to go home, and our stat girl complimented me for the double, but I was an ass and I was kinda ticked off when I replied, "did you see the two times I struck out?!" Sorry, Jamie. The connection here? It's one thing to be a perfectionist. But it doesn't mix with laziness. Ken Hamlin is playing pro football. I'm writing about it for free, and cranking out self-loathing in the process.
Using the Times notebook article and Farnsworth's notebook piece, I was finally able to determine that Koren Robinson did indeed get onto the playing field, though he did not catch a pass. In Farnsworth's piece, he notes that Shaun Alexander leads the league in rushing touchdowns and has regained the NFL's rushing lead. The Seahawks are 22-5 when Shaun gets at least 25 carries. RUN SHAUN RUN!! All across the land, Shaun's fantasy football owners shouted with glee. Ken Hamlin also got his first career sack.
Let's face it. For the next few years, this team needs Shaun Alexander as well as his mom. Shaun Alexander broke the single-season franchise records for rushing touchdowns and rushing yardage in yesterday's game. As for the article about Shaun's mom, if I had a job, I'd help pay for her plane tickets to be at the Seahawks' games for as long as they play this season. Carol rules. Mrs. McNabb has nothing on her.
Not to be forgotten, Darrell Jackson was busy breaking a franchise record as well. Does anyone remember the last time this guy dropped a pass? Better to stop dropping balls late than never. That was a hell of a 53-yard play though. I know I was screaming at my TV, but not in anger like I have done so many times with this team. Jackson now has the franchise's single-season record for catches, and is just 107 yards short of Steve Largent's franchise record for receiving yards in a single season. Jackson had 101 yards of receiving yesterday.
There are two articles (Thiel and Kelley, respectively) on Trent Dilfer's seven-yard fourth-quarter run on 3rd-and-6 that got the Seahawks' final first down and the right to take three knees and end it. Art Thiel furthered boosted his stock in my eyes as he successfully used the word "crapcan" in a Seattle daily. Thiel points out that some teams with not-so-good regular season records in this town have gotten into the playoffs and/or caught some fire late in the season. The Seahawks haven't caught fire, but with the playoffs, you never know. Kelley's piece is more on Dilfer and the play itself. Was it pretty? Far from it. Same goes for the offense of the Baltimore Ravens the year that Dilfer got his ring. Yesterday, in the end, Dilfer plum got the job done. The longest seven-yard run Coach Holmgren has seen in his life got the job done.
Les Carpenter says the Seahawk defense is trying. They're depleted, but they try, and right now if it's all they've got, at least they're giving it. He puts a more positive spin on the defense's output yesterday, most of which (first three quarters) was quite good.
After reading all of the articles, I'd have to say my two most underrated plays of the game were the Bobby Engram 49-yard punt return that helped set up the Seahawks' first score, and the open-field tackle that Marquand Manuel had on a third down. Well, I guess those two plays and all the fumbles the Seahawks managed to force.
Just for tonight...GO EAGLES!!
BASKETBALL
The Marvin Williams Watch
The North Carolina Tar Heels are home against UNC-Wilmington tomorrow and Cleveland State on Thursday.
Huskies
Washington is off until opening Pac-10 play on New Year's Eve against the Cal Bears.
Bulldogs
Gonzaga is on the road with a game in Oklahoma City tomorrow against 3rd-ranked Oklahoma State and a game in Columbia on Thursday against Missouri.
Sonics
The Sonics have some "green" plays where green means go, and they just go nuts and quick. On some other plays, they improvise and make stuff up. There's been a few things said about how the Sonics play offense, whether it's being unselfish, whether it's a combination of mazes of screens and picks, whether it has tinges of European-style basketball in it. I almost can't wait until after the season to see what the basketball wizards will say about the style that this team is playing. For me, it's high in scoring, the shooters are great, and the team is finally outrebounding other teams.
Also, Antonio Daniels plans to return to the Sonics for tomorrow's game after a bouts with a combination of pneumonia, bronchitis, and acute tonsillitis. That had to be pure hell. The beginning of the article is almost hilarious, however, as it seems the Sonics were basically keeping away from Daniels like he had cooties or something, just giving him fist taps, and Ray Allen using the word "quarantine." But it's necessary, though. You don't want one guy's illness messing up the entire team. On another note, the Sonics are embarking on a 10-day, 17-game stretch.
Upcoming...
Tonight at Utah
Tomorrow vs. Philadelphia
Thursday at Atlanta
New Year's Eve at Charlotte
HOCKEY
Two scores from the World Junior Championships. Info is short because the official site never posted boxscores.
Also, USAHockey.com will be streaming audio for the remaining games in the tournament where Team USA is involved.
Sweden shut out Germany, 6-0. Linus Persson and Johannes Salmonsson both scored twice, and Christopher Heino-Lindberg stopped all 25 shots he faced for the Swedes. Thomas Greiss stopped 31 in the German net.
Switzerland shut out Belarus, 5-0. The Swiss got their first goal via the wraparound, and that was all they needed. Michael Tobler stopped all 19 shots, and Stepan Goryachevskikh stopped 32 for Belarus.
Upcoming for the World Juniors...
Tonight: Canada vs. Sweden, Czech Republic vs. Russia, United States vs. Switzerland, Finland vs. Slovakia
Tomorrow: Germany vs. Canada, Russia vs. Belarus
Wednesday: Czech Republic vs. Switzerland, Finland vs. Sweden, Belarus vs. United States, Slovakia vs. Germany
Thursday: Canada vs. Finland, Switzerland vs. Russia, United States vs. Czech Republic, Sweden vs. Slovakia
New Year's Day: medal round begins
If no work stoppage took place, the Canucks would be playing their 36th game of the season tonight, hosting the Philadelphia Flyers at the Garage in Vancouver. The Canucks' 36th game last year wasn't a very good one. Luckily I had relatives in town and my bro-in-law brought the PS2 and I'd started playing it midway through the game (I'd forgotten to bring my TV home for the break, if memory serves right). I was too fickle that night. Anyway, the Canucks had a 2-1 lead on goals by Brad May and Daniel Sedin before the Oilers rattled off the next five goals unanswered. It wasn't Alex Auld's night. The loss brought the Canucks to 19-9-6-2, good for 46 points.
Upcoming for the teams usually tracked in this space...
Tonight: Lethbridge at Seattle, Manitoba at Cleveland
Tomorrow: Lethbridge at Vancouver, Spokane at Everett, Portland at Prince George, Manitoba at Cleveland
Wednesday: Everett at Seattle, Portland at Prince George
New Year's Eve: Seattle at Portland, Chicago at Manitoba, Tri-City at Puget Sound
New Year's Day: Spokane at Vancouver, Seattle at Everett, Portland at Tri-City, Tri-City at Puget Sound
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Enjoy your Monday, everyone. Even the people that are at work without a long holiday break.
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