An Ode To Perspective
There aren't alot of times that I'll make excuses for a team that blew opportunities and missed open doors throughout a season, but I'd like to make a case for restraint in the vocal disappointment of Seattle Seahawks fans following their elimination this past Sunday night. There is a lot of evidence to suggest that this team was victim of bad luck and perhaps, just as much to suggest they did a great impression of Britney Spears.
In the past few days, we've found out much more as to how serious the injuries to some of the key members of the team were. Quarterback Matt Hasselbeck was playing with two broken fingers on his non-throwing hand, and today it was revealed that he played with a torn left labrum throughout the end of the season. Running back Shaun Alexander's foot was reinjured during the Chicago loss. Retiring center Robbie Tobeck, who sat out the second half of the season with some sort of nuclear waste oozing from his hip, revealed on KJR today that Walter Jones can't take any pain meds due to a pre-existing medical condition, pain meds that most O-Linemen pop like tic tacs throughout the season. Starting cornerbacks Marcus Trufant and Kelly Herndon missed both playoff games. D-Lineman Marcus Tubbs missed the majority of the season. Even Pro Bowl fullback Mack Strong had to bow the irony of his name and miss the final game.
In short, eight of the opening day starters either were missed or were playing with serious injuries for the final game. And they only lost by three to a team whose defense looks like they were stars in a Stan Lee comic. (Sidenote: Isn't nice to see UW turning out people as ambitious as Tank Johnson? I mean, at 25 to be running guns like he was Ollie North? That's just impressive.)
So why does it feel so empty?
Despite injuries that would leave most coaches in the fetal position, the Hawks played all out and nearly won the damn thing. Hell, they should've won. Now we're stuck with the questions of what if. What if Hass doesn't throw that interception? What if the snap isn't blown on 4th down? What if Big Play Babs grabs that interception in the 1st? What if an orange traffic cone lines up at fullback instead of Will Heller? We could do this all day and believe me, it has occupied my thoughts as much as it has yours. It simply boils down to missed conversions and botched opportunities. Stuff that happens in games. It feels empty because we remember a season ago when all of those breaks fell on the good guys' side. This wasn't the team of an NFL MVP, or a Pro Bowl left guard, or a team that won all its home games. This was a team that could've used a bucket of extra crispy to use as spare parts.
This was a MASH unit, a team that was held together by spit, fire, experience, and a city. And I'm damn proud of them. More proud than last year. They didn't deserve to be in the playoffs. They didn't even deserve to win their division. But guys played hurt, played mad, and played for pride. They played for us. They had no earthly business winning against Dallas, but they did just enough. They were running on fumes and in the end, it wasn't enough.
I hate moral victories, I think they're for losers. And this wasn't one. This was a victory for the locker room, for the guys who played. And for next year. They know what happened week to week better than we do. This was a disappointment for the fans, but they will hold their heads high, and deserve to.
Free agency and the draft will be upon us sooner than a Britney Spears comeback record. I think we'll fare better. I mean, c'mon, the Raiders will do better.
In the past few days, we've found out much more as to how serious the injuries to some of the key members of the team were. Quarterback Matt Hasselbeck was playing with two broken fingers on his non-throwing hand, and today it was revealed that he played with a torn left labrum throughout the end of the season. Running back Shaun Alexander's foot was reinjured during the Chicago loss. Retiring center Robbie Tobeck, who sat out the second half of the season with some sort of nuclear waste oozing from his hip, revealed on KJR today that Walter Jones can't take any pain meds due to a pre-existing medical condition, pain meds that most O-Linemen pop like tic tacs throughout the season. Starting cornerbacks Marcus Trufant and Kelly Herndon missed both playoff games. D-Lineman Marcus Tubbs missed the majority of the season. Even Pro Bowl fullback Mack Strong had to bow the irony of his name and miss the final game.
In short, eight of the opening day starters either were missed or were playing with serious injuries for the final game. And they only lost by three to a team whose defense looks like they were stars in a Stan Lee comic. (Sidenote: Isn't nice to see UW turning out people as ambitious as Tank Johnson? I mean, at 25 to be running guns like he was Ollie North? That's just impressive.)
So why does it feel so empty?
Despite injuries that would leave most coaches in the fetal position, the Hawks played all out and nearly won the damn thing. Hell, they should've won. Now we're stuck with the questions of what if. What if Hass doesn't throw that interception? What if the snap isn't blown on 4th down? What if Big Play Babs grabs that interception in the 1st? What if an orange traffic cone lines up at fullback instead of Will Heller? We could do this all day and believe me, it has occupied my thoughts as much as it has yours. It simply boils down to missed conversions and botched opportunities. Stuff that happens in games. It feels empty because we remember a season ago when all of those breaks fell on the good guys' side. This wasn't the team of an NFL MVP, or a Pro Bowl left guard, or a team that won all its home games. This was a team that could've used a bucket of extra crispy to use as spare parts.
This was a MASH unit, a team that was held together by spit, fire, experience, and a city. And I'm damn proud of them. More proud than last year. They didn't deserve to be in the playoffs. They didn't even deserve to win their division. But guys played hurt, played mad, and played for pride. They played for us. They had no earthly business winning against Dallas, but they did just enough. They were running on fumes and in the end, it wasn't enough.
I hate moral victories, I think they're for losers. And this wasn't one. This was a victory for the locker room, for the guys who played. And for next year. They know what happened week to week better than we do. This was a disappointment for the fans, but they will hold their heads high, and deserve to.
Free agency and the draft will be upon us sooner than a Britney Spears comeback record. I think we'll fare better. I mean, c'mon, the Raiders will do better.
posted by Justin Graden at 9:43 PM
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