Wednesday, April 24, 2013

We Dont Have a Pick and I Dont Care

Tomorrow night the first round of the NFL draft will take place in New York city. Fans from across the country will tune in and watch as teams add players they hope can turn their fortunes around or strength a weakness. The sports media world will be focused intently on these 32 picks. Analysis of each and every pick will be offered from anyone and everyone with any sort of expertise. The Seahawks will be left out of all this hoopla and I really don't care that we are missing out.

As a quick reminder, during the off season the Seahawks traded away their 2013 first round pick to the Minnesota Vikings for WR/Athlete Percy Harvin. As such, they don't get a pick this year (unless they trade for one). Under normal circumstances this would be a big deal. Our team would be missing out on the chance at signing one of the 32 best college players in the country. This year is different. This year the Seahawks are already loaded with young talented players. They have very few holes to fill.

Going into the offseason the biggest needs were the defensive line and WR. The front office has already taken care of both of these needs. They traded for Percy Harvin, who is one of the most dangerous playmakers in the league. Next they signed Michael Bennett and Cliff Avril, who have combined for 33.5 sacks in the last two years.  The Seahawks biggest need is probably a OLB or a TE, but neither of these are usually considered first round positions.

Additionally, this year's incoming draft class is considered by many of the talk heads as one of the worst in years. There are very few projected premier, fortune changing, talents. Using that pick to acquire a player like Percy Harvin is probably a much better use of your valuable first round pick. There probably aren't any players that can make the kind of impact Harvin can. Missing out on a first round talent this year, especially considering our pick would have been so late, just doesn't have the same impact as missing out in years past.

GM John Schneider and Head Coach Pete Carroll have done an excellent job setting this team up for the present and the future. The team appears to have very few, if any, weaknesses, which means they have the luxury of being able to skip the first round tomorrow and still be set for a great run in 2013.

Friday, April 12, 2013

Next Time Just Give Them a Fruit Basket

Well that was sure nice of the Mariners, to let the Astros win their first ever series at Safeco Field as a member of the AL West. What generous and polite hosts our Mariners are. They showed the weak scared little Astros a great time. Unfortunately in the world of professional baseball giving away gifts like this doesnt gain you anything. Every series counts. The key to the playoffs is not winning every game but winning more series then you lose.  The Astros arent going to intentionally return the favor when the M's go to Houston. I would have much rather Jack Z just handed every Astors player a fruit basket and given them a professional and courteous handshake.

P.S. Stop sucking at baseball Mariners!

Monday, April 1, 2013

Please Mariners Dont Fail Me Again



I think the Mariner’s lack of success has finally gotten to me. Eleven years without a playoff appearance and nine years of being outscored by the opponents has left me entering the 2013 season with the lowest level of excitement I can remember. I am struggling to see how this year’s team has a chance to compete. 

I know there are better players this year and the fences have been moved in, but we have had signs of improvement in the past only to finish on the outside looking in again. Remember 2004 and 2010? Both years we expected to compete and both years we lost 99+ games. All the years a disappointment and terrible personnel moves has put me teetering on the edge of becoming a Mariners pessimist. All it will take is another disappointing last place finish and I will be over the cliff. And once I go there it will be an unbelievably difficult task to pull myself back into the world of optimism or even realism. 

So, as a preventative measure, I ask the 2013 Mariners to not fail us again. Don’t waste ten Felix Hernandez pitching gems by only scoring one run. Don’t wait until July to cut a struggling old veteran just because he might turn it around. Don’t trade away a promising young player for a reliever on the hopes he will help you make the playoffs.  And whatever you do don’t let the Astros surprise the league and finish ahead of us.