Super Bowl Update

By Kshell

The Seattle Seahawks announced that they are releasing three-time pro bowler middle linebacker Lofa Tatupu. The Seahawks had asked Tatupu to take a pay cut and when he refused he was released. For those who think Pete Carroll was going to turn the Seahawks into a bunch of ex-USC Trojans well think again. Under Carroll the Seahawks have cut Lendale White, traded away Lawrence Jackson, passed on Taylor Mays in the draft and now released Tatupu. For the Seahawks Tatupu was the heart and soul of the defense as he was the team captain from 2006-2010 and was captain for the 2005 playoffs as well. Tatupu is easily Tim Ruskell's best draft pick seeing how he is the only pro bowler he drafted. Tatupu helped lead the Seahawks to the Super Bowl his rookie year as he made the pro bowl. The Seahawks like they did with Matt Hasselbeck are making a decision based on what you can do for the team tomorrow vs what you did yesterday. The Seahawks have just got rid of the two faces of the franchise. The two main captains the last six seasons are no longer in Seattle. Just like with Hasselbeck despite his poor play the last three years the fans shouldn't forget how great Tatupu was from 2005-2007.


When the Seahawks selected the middle linebacker from USC in the second round many thought the Seahawks made a mistake. Instead Tatupu helped lead the Seahawks to the Super Bowl being the only defensive player to make the pro bowl on the team. Tatupu his rookie year led the team in tackles with 86 solo tackles and 19 assisted. Tatupu also had four sacks and three interceptions including a touchdown on monday night football in Philadelphia. In 2006 Tatupu once again made the Pro Bowl with 93 solo tackles and 30 assisted. He 1.5 sacks and 1 interception while forcing two fumbles. Everyone remembers that year in the playoffs Tony Romo fumbled the snap for the Seahawks to win the game. What is often forgotten is the play before Tatupu making a great tackle on Jason Whitten to force the Cowboys to kick the field goal. Whitten caught the pass and Tatupu immdediately tackled him. The play was ruled a first down but after a challenge the Cowboys facing a fourth and inches kicked the potential game winning field goal. Then in 2007 Tatupu made the pro bowl while being named first team all-pro beating out Brian Urlacher and Ray Lewis. That year Tatupu had 83 solo tackles and 26 assisted. Tatupu also had four interceptions including three at Philadelphia with one sack and forced three fumbles. Tatupu became only the second player in NFL history besides Dan Marino to make the pro bowl and win the division title in his first three years in the NFL. Tatupu is the Seahawks greatest middle linebacker of all-time and that isn't even close. For right now the Seahawks will have to wonder who will replace Tatupu's value to the franchise.


The man who will be replacing Tatupu is David Hawthorne who has made 27 starts the last two seasons including 11 at middle linebacker. In 2009 filling in for the injured Tatupu who missed 11 games Hawthorne got his chance. In 16 games and 11 starts Hawthorne had 93 solo tackles and 23 assisted. He also recorded four sacks, three interceptions, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. Then last year filling in for the injured Leroy Hill he started all 16 games at outside linebacker. Hawthorne recorded 74 solo tackles and 31 assisted. He also had one interception and forced a fumble. With Hill returning and fourth overall pick from the 2009 draft Aaron Curry being on the outside Hawthorne will take over the middle linebacker spot. Tatupu has had the better career than Hawthorne but right now the past two seasons Hawthorne has outplayed Tatupu which is all Pete Carroll cares about. This is the NFL and Carroll has a job to put the best possible team on the field regardless of sentiment.

In conclusion, seeing Tatupu and Hasselbeck let go in the same week has been tough. Both were my favorite players and I've had their jerseys since 2005 and they both represented a great part of the Seahawks past. That is the thing they represent the past and not the future. Carroll will be viewed as the bad guy and if he wins a Super Bowl the fans will quickly forgive him. Every coach has to make these tough decisions like when Mike Holmgren released Seahawks legend Cortez Kennedy that was tough. Tatupu simply wasn't productive the last three years like Hasselbeck. Both guys are great Seahawks and I look forward to the day when both raise the 12th man flag. I do worry about who will pick up the leadership aspect on this team. I can see Lawyer Milloy on defense but he is aging as well on defense. Ultimately the Seahawks will need Earl Thomas to step up and be the leader on defense like Tatupu was at a young age. While on offense the leader isn't on this roster. The leader needs to be your franchise quarterback which the Seahawks don't have. Carroll is cleaning up this roster and getting rid of the high priced guys living off their name. I want to thank you for your career Tatupu but Carroll is making the right decisions this offseason.

By Kshell

The Seattle Mariners officially ended the Erik Bedard era in Seattle by trading him to the Boston Red Sox in a three team deal that brought back two outfield prospects. The Mariners have traded away two starting pitchers and a bullpen arm the last two days for three outfielders, a third baseman and a bullpen/starting pitcher. The Mariners under Jack Zduriencik are once again rebuilding trying to get younger. The Mariners offense this season has been horrible so the Mariners are hoping some of these prospects can pan out. With the Mariners traded Bedard this ends a frustrating three and a half year marriage that started off with so much promise. For those who remember previous GM Bill Bavasi traded away Adam Jones, George Sherrill and Chris Tillman for Bedard. Bedard was brought in to be the ace of the staff as the hope was he'd anchor the rotation in the playoffs. Instead the Mariners got only 46 starts from Bedard. Bedard in his years with the Mariners never pitched a single inning in August or September. In fact he hasn't pitched in September since 2006 and has never pitched in a playoff race.


What the Red Sox are acquiring is a pretty good starting pitcher when he is healthy. In his career with the Mariners Bedard made 46 starts with a 15-14 record throwing 255.1 innings with a 3.31 ERA. He posted a 1.22 WHIP with 249 strikeouts to 101 walks. This season Bedard who hadn't pitched in 2010 started the year off rough and has pitched great since then. He recently was on the DL and came back to make his final start for the Mariners lasting just 1.1 innings allowing five earned runs. For the season Bedard went 4-7 in 16 starts with a 3.45 ERA in 91.1 innings pitched. He posted 1.17 WHIP with 87 strikeouts to 30 walks. Bedard when he is on can be an ace as he showed in May posting a 1.39 ERA in 32.1 innings pitched. He had a 0.95 WHIP with 32 strikeouts to 9 walks. In June he posted a 2.25 ERA in 32 innings pitched. He had a 0.84 WHIP with 33 strikeouts to 6 walks. The Red Sox are acquiring a pretty good pitcher when healthy. The Red Sox also gained 2008 first round draft pick reliever Josh Fields from the Mariners. Fields this year in the minors in 29 games has pitched 39 innings posting a 3.92 ERA. He has a 1.53 WHIP with 39 strikeouts to 32 walks with three saves. In his brief career he has appeared in 81 games pitching 101 innings posting an ERA of 4.54. He has a WHIP of 1.51 with 103 strikeouts to 72 walks. The Red Sox didn't make this deal because of Fields it was for the chance to land a potential key playoff starter in Bedard.

The Mariners acquired Trayvon Robinson from the Dodgers organization and Chih-Hsien Chiang of the Red Sox. Both are in the minor leagues and both guys are putting up good seasons. First I'll start with the 23 year old Robinson who is in triple A. For his career he is hitting .283/.358/.436 in 2,441 career AB's. He has hit 64 home runs(HR every 38.1 AB's) with 697 strikeouts(28.5%) to 267 walks(10.9%) which isn't great. He also has 149 stolen bases in his career. For this season he is breaking out hitting .293/.375/.563 in 368 AB's. He has hit 26 home runs(HR every 14.1 AB's) with 122 strikeouts(33.1%) while walking 45 times(12.2%) with 8 stolen bases. Robinson like Casper Wells will be competing for a spot on next years roster. If Robinson doesn't crack the roster he'll provide depth for Tacoma.

The other player the Mariners got was Chih-Hsien Chiang who is also an outfielder. Chiang is a 23 year old in double A who has a career line of .284/.333/.460 in 1,887 career minor league at bats. He has hit 51 home runs(HR every 37 AB's) with 326 strikeouts(17.2%) to 126 walks(6.6%).This year in double A Portland(Maine) Chiang is hitting .338/.399/.647 in 317 AB's. He has hit 18 home runs(HR every 17.6 AB's) with 61 strikeouts(19.2%) to 25 walks(7.8%). When you look at Chiang's numbers you see improvement in his career and a guy who is a slugger. His strikeouts are about right while I'd like to see his walks increase. Chiang hopefully in a year or two can make the Mariners roster. For now he'll add organizational depth in the outfield as the Mariners are hurting in the outfield position. Zduriencik is hoping that one of these three outfielders he acquired in the past 48 hours can someday produce for the Mariners.

In conclusion, the Mariners we all knew were going to be sellers this trade deadline. The Mariners were pretty thin at the outfield position which is why Zduriencik traded for three outfielders hoping to help that weakness. The Mariners traded from a position of strength to help out a position of weakness. I know fans are tired of prospects as am I because rebuilding simply sucks. The Mariners are hoping with these deals they can have some major league depth down the road. While the Red Sox are preparing for the playoffs with a pitcher who proved this season he can be an ace. With Bedard he is such a wild card because he can give you a great outing or he can break down once again. The Mariners made some moves for more prospects so now as fans we have no choice but to wait and see. From all the reports I've read Zduriencik did well once again. Nobody has questioned Zduriencik eye for young talent. Now if Zduriencik can just apply that same strength to free agency we have ourselves a great general manager.

By Money Mike

By Kshell

This past Wednesday I had an interview on seamheads with Jeff Engels. For those who don't know Engels is also known as Jeffs Mariners on facebook. The actually interview you listen to right here at the 91 minute mark. That is when Jeff and myself discussed the Seattle Mariners for a half hour. It was pretty fun discussing the Mariners on a national podcast. The format of the podcast is it is two hours long which a half hour is dedicated to the Seattle Mariners which Jeffs Mariners has been doing all by himself this season. Well the Mariners lost 17 games in a row and with Jeff having a cold I came on to help out. I'll be more appearances on his podcast which is every Wednesday at 7 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. throughout the season. In this particular podcast we discussed the state of the franchise which meant some talk about Jack Zduriencik and the job he is doing. We also discussed at lengths about how the Mariners keep "rebuilding" with young guys who to date haven't panned out. I brought up Justin Smoak who Jeff isn't a fan of as he's been struggling. I'm usually quick to write off a player but I'll wait on Smoak although his June and July leave me concerned. We also had some positive news to discuss in this podcast as well.


The positive of course was that day the Mariners ended their franchise record 17 game losing streak with a 9-2 win over the New York Yankees. The Mariners led by Felix Hernandez going seven innings while allowing just one run and Ichiro having four hits helped lead the Mariners to the win. We talked about Ichiro's slump this season and how Jeff(along with Bryan White) would be upset if they resign Ichiro after 2012. We talked about how Dustin Ackley is already the Mariners best hitter despite being a rookie. How Ackley is the only hitter in the lineup who gives you a quality at bat every time up. We also discussed Mike Carp how this appears to be his last chance and he's making the most of it in his second stint of 2011. I ended the podcast saying something crazy talking about a potential winning streak the next time I come on. There was plenty of good baseball talk though for that half hour segment.

In conclusion, I love doing radio interviews as they are very fun. I used to be afraid to listen to my voice but now I enjoy it. If someone asked me to talk about Science on the radio I would have to decline but to talk sports I'll accept every single time. I always laugh when these sports talk radio hosts complain about their work load. They get to discuss sports how hard can it be? I'm thankful for the opportunity Jeff Mariners gave me to co-host the show with him. I'll never turn down a sports radio interview as they are fun. I don't even need to plug my blog either I can talk for hours at a time. I recap my interview but I left plenty out so go listen for yourself. I come on at the 91 minute mark and it was pretty fun. Hopefully next time I come on the Mariners have a winning streak like I said to end the last podcast.

By Kshell

The Seattle Mariners with their recent losing streak were going to be sellers at this trade deadline. What surprised Mariners fans is that they traded two guys who aren't expensive at all in starting pitcher Doug Fister and reliever David Pauley. The Mariners under general manager Jack Zduriencik are hoping that these four prospects from the Detroit Tigers can turn into something special down the line. The Mariners acquired outfielder Casper Wells, pitcher Charlie Furbush, 20 year old third base prospect Francisco Martinez and a player to be named later who is thought to be one of the Tigers top draft picks from the 2010 draft. The Mariners are hoping that Martinez can develope into the third baseman of the future while Wells gives them a much needed upgrade in left field. This won't be a popular trade as Fister despite his record had the lowest ERA on the team and was the Mariners most consistent starting pitcher. The Tigers have acquired two good arms from the Mariners in hoping they can do more for them than Jarrod Washburn did two years ago.


What the Mariners gave up to the Tigers were two solid cheap arms in Fister and Pauley. On the year Fister in 21 starts is only 3-12 but has thrown 146 innings(7 innings a start) while having a 3.33 ERA. Fister hasn't received any run support this year. He has thrown three complete games and has a WHIP of 1.17 with 89 strikeouts to 32 walks. Fister for the year has a 2.8 WAR which is pretty good. He is also under club control for several seasons. The other guy the Tigers are acquiring is setup man David Pauley who was flirting with an all-star season for most of the year. Pauley on the year has pitched in 39 games posting a 5-4 record while pitching 54.1 innings with a 2.15 ERA. Pauley also has a 0.99 WHIP with 34 strikeouts to 16 walks. He also has a 1.7 WAR which is extremely high for a reliever considering all-star closer Brandon League has just 0.4 on the season. The Tigers are acquiring two solid pitchers for four youngsters.

The Mariners aren't stupid they are selling high on both players while they can. The Mariners signed Pauley to a minor league deal and before this year he was a nobody. As for Fister he is a back of the rotation starter and it hurts to lose him the Mariners did receive four players in return. Let's start off with outfield Casper Wells who is 26 years old. Wells this season for the Detroit Tigers is hitting .257/.323/.451 in 113 AB's on the year. He has 4 HR's with 12 RBI's and 16 runs scored on the season. Wells has 29 strikeouts to 9 walks though which is a concern. He is a good defensive outfielder and can provide a nice platoon in left field and fill in for Franklin Gutierrez if he continues to slump. In his minor league career Wells hit .252/.342/.494 in 1,715 AB's with 81 HR's(HR every 21.2 AB's). He struck out 487 times(28.3%) to 181 walks(10.5) which isn't that great. Wells is worth 1.0 WAR so far on the year which is a major improvement over what the Mariners have received in left field.

The other prospects the Mariners received were Charlie Furbush and Francisco Martinez not to mention a high draft pick of the Tigers from the 2010 draft. First with the 25 year old Furbush he is a 6'5" left handed pitcher who is in the bullpen but has started in the minors. This year for the Tigers in 17 games including two starts Furbush is 1-3 with 32.1 inning pitched while posting a 3.62 ERA. He also has a 1.54 WHIP with 26 strikeouts to 14 walks this year for the Tigers. In the minor leagues Furbush has pitched in 73 games including 69 starts where he is 25-20 having thrown 386 innings with an ERA of 3.71. He has a career WHIP of 1.18 WHIP with 406 strikeouts to 32 walks. Furbush will be the lefty out of the pen for the Mariners this year and compete for a starting rotation spot next year or this year if Erik Bedard is dealt. The main prospect is Martinez who is only 20 years old and in double A. Martinez career minor league line is .277/.329/.361 in 1,108 career at bats. He has just 13 home runs(HR ever 85.2 AB's) with 220 strikeouts(19.8%) to 80 walks(7.2%) which is horrible. This year though he is hitting .282/.319/.405 in 348 AB's with 7 HR's(HR ever 49.7 AB's). He has struck out 80 times(22.9%) to just 19 walks(5.4%) which is Carlos Peguero like. I'm not liking what the Mariners got for what they gave up.

In conclusion, I think the Mariners are taking a major risk on this trade. It will all depend who that player to be named later turns out to be because these three players don't excite me. You have two mid 20's guys who have average minor league stats who are in the major leagues. The big prospect is Martinez who has a K's to BB's ratio as piss poor as Peguero. I hope Zduriencik didn't make this trade out of desperation to keep his job by showing he's trying to improve the offense. Finding innings eater on the cheap like Fister is and is going to be is hard to find. Take Jason Vargas for an example he'll be making over 5 million dollars next year while Fister wouldn't even make a million. The Tigers have to be smiling as they improved their starting rotation and bullpen without giving up their key prospects. The Mariners are banking on Martinez developing into a solid third baseman down the line. As it looks right now today it appears the Mariners got burnt badly in this trade. I guess we'll wait and see down the line but right now today the Mariners fans can't be happy with this deal.

Perhaps, faithful readers, you recall last year when a potted tree mysteriously landed on my doorstep. Wasn't that a crazy time? Well, eleven months later, we have this:

I guess it is last year's tree's younger brother? It scared the hell out of me when I opened my door yesterday afternoon to find it lurking there. It's not as tall as last year's tree, but the trunk is thicker and twisted and has more leaves. I really wish I knew which neighbor is growing trees and then dumping them in the hall when they get too big. Several of my neighbors on my floor moved last year, so there's only two or three residents that could be considered the repeat offender.


Still, a tree outside my door is better than the pizza boxes sitting next to the garbage chute. Seriously, neighbors, if you have something you no longer want in your apartment, throw it the eff out. but in the areas designated for garbage. And please stop growing trees you can't care for!

By Money Mike



The Seattle Sounders after a disappointing 1st leg of the Champions League preliminary round get back to work in MLS as they head to Tornado Alley to take on the Houston Dynamo. The last time these two met back on March 25th, the Sounders had a lot of opportunities to score but were only able to capitalize on only one in the 80th minute via a tap in by Steve Zakuani as the match finished all square at 1-1. The Sounders, coming in with a 9 game unbeaten streak, have yet to win in Houston. Drawing 1-1 in their first visit in 2009 and losing 2-1 last season.


Injury report:

Seattle Sounders FC - For Seattle, of course Steve Zakuani is out with a broken leg. Brad Evans had injury problems last year and he's having injury problems again this year. He is listed as doubtful with a hamstring strain. Also listed as doubtful is Jhon Kennedy Hurtado with an MCL Sprain. Backup goalkeeper Terry Boss has a concussion so I don't expect him to be on the squad tomorrow, look for #3 goalkeeper Josh Ford to make the 18-man squad this weekend.

Houston Dynamo - For the other guys, Calen Carr, he has not played at all this season for the Dynamo having dealt with a concussion, he is listed as doubtful. Also Cam Weaver, who of course went to Kentwood High School, is listed as probable with a sprained left ankle.


Suspensions:

Only one player suspended and that would be Je-Vaughn Watson of the Houston Dynamo. Watson picked up a second yellow card in Houston's 3-0 loss to Chivas USA.


Key matchups:

Brad Davis vs James Riley - There's always a key matchup on the wing, especially when you have a playmaker like Brad Davis. He's gonna be everywhere tomorrow. There's no time for any hiccups.

Fredy Montero vs Bobby Boswell - Fredy Montero, he's back to doing what he does best... Scoring goals. Boswell is gonna have a long night defensively.

Hello, Friends!

The Last Splash of Summer Sidewalk Sale ends tomorrow. ALL of our summer items are marked 50% or more off the original price. Too much to fit all under the tent; come inside for more sale apparel, jewelry, handbags, scarves and more. Thank you!

Love,
Renee

30 Weeks! Only a measly 22 weeks to go! This week was the battle against homemade cookies. Three times this week I was offered fresh from the over cookies. Twice it was chocolate chip. Once it was oatmeal raisin. Clearly, the oatmeal raisin was much easier to pass up. But those homemade cookies looked SO GOOD. Did I want even a bite of one, a friend asked? Bites are against the rules. No cookies at all, I'm afraid.

As if that were not enough, Suki continues to twist the knife at work. This week she had a delicious chocolate chunk cookie from Pret with her lunch. She was all "these are SO GOOD! have you ever had one of these?" And yes, I have had them back in 2010 and yes, they are high quality cookies. Thank you for reminding me, Sukes. I hope to snack on their deliciousness again in 2012.

The soda dreams have not plagued me for a few weeks. Now that I think I'm in the clear, I'm sure I'll have one tonight. Probably a real dramatic one where I have my head underneath a nozzle of a soda fountain and I'm just guzzling away on Mug Root Beer like i'm Barney from The Simpsons. It sounds like such a beautiful dream... I dreamed a day in time gone by when soda were mine and and life worth living...

(Lovely ladies waiting for a bite. Waiting for the cookie trucks that only come at night...)

Onward to Week 31!

Come to our biggest sale of the year.

If it's under the tent, it's at least 50% off!

Sidewalk sale starts today and ends Saturday. Look for the tent near the corner of Hewitt and Colby Avenues across the street from Starbucks.

Get in here soon!

With love,
Renee

By Kshell

One teams trash is another teams treasure. That is exactly what the Tennessee Titans are hoping by signing former Seattle Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck to a three year deal worth 21 million dollars. The Titans are hoping that Hasselbeck with a good supporting cast like running back Chris Johnson can bring back the Hasselbeck from 2003-2007 instead of the Hasselbeck from 2008-2010. The Titans needed a quarterback as they released Vince Young and they don't want to rush first round pick Jake Locker who they drafted 8th overall in the 2011 NFL Draft. The Titans are hoping with a fresh start they can get new results from Hasselbeck.

With Hasselbeck they have a proven playoff quarterback who has led a team to the Super Bowl. This appears to be a solid move for the Titans franchise as Hasselbeck showed at times last year he still has some game left in him. Hasselbeck has proven at times last year he can still be an NFL starting quarterback and lead a team to a playoff win. In last years 41-36 playoff win over the New Orleans Saints Hasselbeck threw for four touchdown passes. Just like in Seattle Hasselbeck won't have much of a receiver group as his best option Kenny Britt will most likely start the year off suspended. Hasselbeck will have Chris Johnson who will be the best running back he's ever had including Shaun Alexander. The main thing for the Titans is Hasselbeck allows them a bridge gap to the Jake Locker era. With Hasselbeck he can hold the fort down for a year possibly even two which will allow Locker to learn the offense.


This is also great news for Jake Locker as he won't be asked to save the franchise. When Locker is finally starting for the Titans it will be when he is ready instead of being thrown into the fire. We have seen recently young quarterbacks thrown into the fire on bad teams the success rate is very low. While you look at Aaron Rodgers, Phillip Rivers, and Tom Brady they all sat their first year in the NFL. In the case of Rodgers he sat for three full seasons while Rivers sat for two seasons. With Locker sitting and learning from a great pro in Hasselbeck that will help his career quite a bit. The last thing Locker needed with only a month to prepare was to start the season as the starting quarterback. Nobody cares how you do as a rookie anyways. The Titans drafted Locker for what he'll do in his career not what he'll do his rookie year. I think Hasselbeck can hold the spot down for at least a year and a half before letting Locker take over.

In conclusion, as a Seattle sports fan I love this move quite a bit. It would have sucked seeing Hasselbeck kick the Seahawks asses in a San Francisco 49ers jersey. Now I'll sort of adopt the Titans as they have Hasselbeck and Locker. I know I'll be watching their preseason games for sure to see how both guys do. This should be a weird feeling for Locker playing at Montlake for five seasons as Hasselbeck was for the Seahawks. Now Locker will be learning from the guy who he shared the spot light with in Seattle. This is a good move as Hasselbeck can extend his career while the hometown hero Locker can learn from a pro. I'm excited that the Titans not the 49ers signed Hasselbeck. I wish Hasselbeck luck and when that time comes I'll wish Locker luck as well. I know a ton of Seattle fans just became Titans fans as well.

By Kshell

The Seattle Seahawks began the free agency period as big players signing three free agent players. Pete Carroll is being very active this offseason despite letting popular quarterback Matt Hasselbeck go. The Seahawks signed pro bowl wide receiver Sidney Rice, quarterback Tarvaris Jackson and former #2 pick overall Robert Gallery. The Seahawks had the third highest cap space combined with a billionaire owner you knew the Seahawks would make some moves this offseason. Last year the Seahawks made more moves than any team in the NFL so I expected this year to be no different. The Seahawks under Carroll preach competition and these guys being brought in sure will help with that. The Seahawks despite winning the division and advancing to the second round of the NFL playoffs were a flawed roster. With these moves the offense will be much improved especially when you factor in the draft. The Seahawks so far have made a statement that they are going back to the 2003-2005 era when they had a great offensive line.


The Seahawks in the draft went offensive line with James Carpenter and John Moffitt to help rescue an area that has been lacking since Steve Hutchinson left after the 2005 season. Well the Seahawks are reuniting Robert Gallery with his former head coach Tom Cable who is the Seahawks offensive line coach. With Gallery the Seahawks are getting a physical 6'7" 325 lb offensive guard. The Seahawks will most likely put Gallery on the left side with last years 6th pick overall Russell Okung to form the best left side they've had since Walter Jones and Steve Hutchinson from 2001-2005. With Gallery the Seahawks land the former #2 pick in the 2004 NFL draft as he started 41 games his first three years in the NFL all at tackle. He started 10 of those games at left tackle as the Oakland Raiders were hoping they drafted the next Walter Jones. Well Gallery struggled as a tackle and was labeled a bust. The great thing about "bust" tackles is they always turn into at worst a solid guard. Gallery was switched to guard and has since started 50 games at left guard. The Seahawks are getting a quality offensive lineman who has experience at tackle and guard which should help out the young offensive line. With the offensive line improved the skill players should thrive this season.


The Seahawks let Matt Hasselbeck go at quarterback and are hoping Tarvaris Jackson can be the guy. Jackson knows the offense as his offensive coordinator is now the offensive coordinator for the Seahawks. Now Jackson hasn't produced much in the NFL and for those who know me will know I trashed on him more than any quarterback. Jackson in his four year career in the NFL is 10-10 as a starting quarterback while passing for 3,984 yards while completing 58.7% of his passes with a rating of 76.6 in his career. He has thrown for 24 touchdowns and 22 interceptions while rushing for 535 yards with four touchdowns. Now those aren't great numbers and they are actually below average but they are on par with what Hasselbeck has produced in the last three seasons. Jackson's best season was in 2008 when he helped lead the Minnesota Vikings to the NFC North Division championship. That year Jackson played in nine games and started five games. Jackson threw for 1,056 yards while completing 59.1% of his passes with a rating of 95.4 for the season. He also threw for nine touchdowns to just two interceptions while rushing for 145 yards. Jackson will give the Seahawks a mobile quarterback who knows the offense. He will also be familiar with one receiver as well.


The Seahawks signed former pro bowl wide receiver Sidney Rice of the Vikings as first reported  by Jay Glazer. Rice comes to the Seahawks signing a five year 41 million dollar contract. Rice is only 24 years old and showed in 2009 he can be the #1 receiver the Seahawks are lacking. The Seahawks haven't sent a wide receiver to the pro bowl as a receiver since 1989 with Brian Blades. With Rice the Seahawks land a receiver who has 146 career receptions for 2,129 yards and 18 touchdowns. His pro bowl season of 2009 he had 83 receptions for 1,312 yards with 8 touchdowns. Rice is a big receiver at 6'4" 200 lbs which will make life difficult on opposing defenses in the red zone. With Rice and Mike Williams the Seahawks now have two big targets they can lob the ball up to for a touchdown. The Seahawks are hoping with a new and improved offensive line they can finally put some points on the board.

In conclusion, the Seahawks are going through with their promise of being active this offseason. That is why you have to love the Seahawks management they always try to improve the team unlike the Seattle Mariners. The Seahawks have went from the worst offensive line in the NFL to possibly a good offensive line by the time they all get used to each other. The Seahawks also have a big play receiver in Rice which slides Williams to a #2 receiver not to mention speedsters Deon Butler and Golden Tate. The Seahawks aren't done yet I have a feeling they'll make some more major moves. The Seahawks made the tough decision on Hasselbeck while responding making big moves with Gallery and Rice. Glad to see a Seattle sports franchise trying to make their team better.

As Nadal prepares for the final weeks of summer on the US hard courts, I prepare for his eventual arrival in New York for the US Open. It is just around the corner! I continue to take tennis lessons at Midtown Tennis Center (my forehand and backhand continue to improve!). I just got my tickets to Arthur Ashe Stadium for my annual Labor Day trip to the US Open. I also just pre-ordered my copy of Rafa's new biography, "Rafa." Nadal is such a private person, I cannot imagine what parts of his life he is willing to share in book-form, knowing that every interviewer on the planet is now gonna ask him about it. I will find out what there is to know on Aug. 23rd, no doubt. It seems like since it's coming out so close to the Open, he'll HAVE to do a book signing in NYC, no? And then I can go there and get my book signed - as well as the tennis ball I got off him at the '09 Open. And I'd get to meet him. Could this finally be the year Rafa and I meet face to face? My heart is hopeful. My expectations are way out of control. How could this possibly end in tears and a restraining order? Vamos!

Welcome Back, Dance Fans! Top 8 Week. Where the Elite meet. New All-Stars are in the house! Well, Pasha is back because there MUST be Pasha, but the others are making their All-Star debuts for this season! In terms of contestants, we've still got 4 Contempos, 2 Jazz Hands, 1 Breaker (Nigel keeps shouting at me every week that his genre is not hip hop, even though the SYTYCD website lists it as his expertise) and 1 B-way left to dance for us. Tonight's guest judges are a very orange-skin-toned Rob Marshall, who of course is a famed choreographer and director, and GAGA herself! Wearing a crazy outfit, a crazy wig and glasses and crazy enormous shoes, even by her standards. She has no pterodactyl wings and is not on fire, so Gaga has toned it down for this evening, to keep the attention on the dancers. How very thoughtful!

Tonight we are getting all-star routines AND contestant duets. No solos! Woohoo! Also tonight, each non-Melanie contestant will start to get their walking papers from the judging table. They've done this in season's past, but this year Melanie just seems so well-loved and is so talented, their desire for her to win seems so sincere rather that calculated. You'll see what I mean when I employ the "You Ain't Melanie" judgment segment. Let's get on to it.

Sasha and Pasha, quickstep w/ Jonathan Roberts. Dancing to: "Puttin' on the Ritz," Terry Snyder. Concept: Rhyming Names and Craaazy Ballroom. It's light and quirky and fun. Obviously, Jonathan was trying to provide some extra room for personality to the choreo so that Quickstep isn't Sasha's kiss of death. Pasha's a great partner for her here and she brings great energy and attitude to her dancing, but it still just seems a liiiiiitle bit uncomfortable. Just a teeny tiny bit. The "You Ain't Melanie"judgment is: You are our favorite dancer until Melanie gets on the stage! And also maybe Marko! Thanks for playing! Nigel notes some stiffness in the upper-body but Gaga counters that she thought it was Sasha's artistic interpretation of what the choreographer wanted, so she thought it fit the piece.

Caitlynn and Ivan, lyrical hip-hop w/ Marty Kudelka. Dancing to: "Let Me Love You," Mario. Concept: Ivan is picking up Caitlynn on the rebound. She looks damn sexy in those jeans. She commits to the routine as always, and she's good, but not quite in sync with Ivan who just has so much charisma and skill in this genre. The routine kinda ends before it feels like anything happened. It was not flashy choreo. The "You Ain't Melanie" judgment for Caitlynn is: You are beautiful! You've won so many other dance competitions! So remember when you eventual lose here, that you're still a winner! They otherwise thought she did a good job but could've gotten lower in her body, dug deeper emotionally and let go into the dance. Still it really wasn't bad.

Jordan and Ade, jazz w/ Tyce Diorio: "Nutbush City Limits," Tina Turner. Concept: Jordan does leg extensions. She's fine, but I feel like I write the same thing about all of her routines. Ade I thought was a bit wasted here. The "You Ain't Melanie" judgment for Jordan is: You have legs that go on for days! You win the leg extension competition! Good for you, constant visitor to the Bottom 2! They all praise the leg extensions as you knew they would. Gaga takes this opportunity to show us just how insane her shoes are tonight. When do they just turn into stilts, Gaga? There is also a lot of Tyce love from the judges, trying to make up for last week's attack on him. Tyce has a new very short haircut! I hope NPH did not cause him such stress that he decided to chop off all his hair!



Melanie and Neil, contemporary, w/ Mandy Moore Dancing to: "Total Eclipse of the Heart," Bonnie Tyler. Oh, JEEZ! First I'd like to say that I was initially annoyed to hear that Melanie was dancing contemporary again. I want to see them give her a wider range of dances! But then she was paired with Neil and got Mandy Moore and Mandy finally played her highest trump card by turning to 80's inspiration Bonnie Tyler. So who am I to complain? It's as amazing as you'd think. Neil and Melanie look delicious in bedroom attire. They dance with unbelievable flow, emotion and synchronicity. Midway through the routine, Melanie runs and leaps at Neil from across the stage and he catches her and the world goes nuts. Melanie and Neil have the power to heal the universe. Suddenly Congress announces a debt ceiling compromise, Amy Winehouse returns to life and I am in a loving committed relationship. For a moment, all is right with the world. Then the routine ends (slightly abruptly in the music, for my taste) and we are back to reality, but at least we are applauding. The judges give Melanie a standing ovation. Then they rave about her for like 20 minutes. They are so in love, it's forever before they even mention Delicious Neil or Mandy's choreo. Gaga takes her hat off to Melanie and says she's her favorite. Rob totally thought it was magic. Mary goes nuts for it and Nigel switches back to Team Melanie.

Ricky and Anya, jive w/ Jason Gilkison. Dancing to: "River Deep, Mountain High," Celine Dion. Concept: Celebration! Dance Your Ass Off! You know I love ANYA! and I am a fan of Ricky, but this cover of the song hits my ear funny. They should've gone with the original or the Glee cover, me thinks. It sounds weird with Celine. Plus the choppy edit actually omits the lyric "river deep mountain high" which is bizarre to me. Oh the dancing? It's good! He's so much taller than her that I think when he's trying to look down at her face it actually looks like he's watching her feet, which is unfortunate. There's an amazing moment where Anya flips him over her head. It's nuts. Anya can do anything! Ricky's kicking is lacking a little of that effortless spring that makes for a successful jive. It might be hard for him since he's so tall and thin, but I don't give Jess a pass on the lifts because he is short, so I gotta be fair. Speaking of lifts, there is one that doesn't work and two that are pretty cool. They nail the final death drop. This was not Ricky's best, but Anya is a force of nature most dancers cannot handle. The "You Ain't Melanie" judgment: You have an amazing smile! Please don't lose that if we eliminate you tomorrow! I haven't said a lot about Rob Marshall but he's actually quite the gentleman in all his comments and is being very thoughtful and supportive to the contestants. Nigel and Mary are pretty kind to Rickey except for that one bad lift. Gaga says that she has a sweet spot for him and can't really pinpoint why, but she really likes him. I'm right there with you, Gaga!

Jess and Lauren Gottlieb, lyrical hip hop w/ Tabitha and Napoleon. Dancing to: "Take a Bow," Rihanna. Concept: He cheated and is trying to give her a flower to make up for it. The flower prop is super fake and annoying. It stays around entirely too long before Lauren finally throws it away. The routine is not poorly danced but it's kinda uninspired choreo from Nappytabs. I like Jess a lot here but I still think Lauren outdanced him. The "You Ain't Melanie"judgment for Jess is: You've made such progress! Whether you go home this week or next week, you'll be able to take that progress with you! Seriously the judges are very muted in their praise considering Jess did a very good job here. Gaga warms to Jess as a former theater school nerd. Rob discloses he's known Jess for years from Broadway! Wouldn't Marshall's relationship with him cause a conflict of interest if Ricky and Jess fell into the Bottom 2?

Tadd and Lauren Froderman, jazz w/ Mandy Moore. Dancing to: "Another One Bites the Dust," Queen. Concept: Smooth Criminals. Tadd's got great attitude here. Very MJ opening. They are wearing hats and Tadd loses his early. I don't know why he doesn't scoop it up. It's weird that he has to do choreo that requires it be on his head. And then Lauren punches his clean in the face! Yikes! This was good, but Melanie was so great earlier, the last couple dances seem a little deflated . The "You Ain't Melanie" judgment: You're a b-boy! You shouldn't be able to do this! Amazing! We want you in the Finale, landing in 4th place! You're very special. The judges love Tadd. He's a lot of fun even if this was a Tadd bit sloppy. See what I just did there?



Marko and Allison, contemporary w/ Sonya Tayeh. Dancing to: "I Know It's Over," Jeff Buckley. Concept: Sinners seek absolution! This is VERY much like Sonya's routine last year with Allison and Alex, right down to the Jeff Buckley soundtrack, but lightning has apparently struck twice. Marko's face is so emotive and his technique is so strong. And Allison is her usual amazing self. The judges give it a standing ovation. Gaga weeps openly. Cat almost forgets Allison isn't supposed to stay for the judging. The "You Ain't Melanie" judgment: You are our favorite MALE dancer. It doesn't matter WHERE you end up in the competition. Third, maybe? It doesn't matter! You're a star! They bring up that his mom is finally in the audience having flown in from Guam. Marko also weeps openly asking her forgiveness for that one time he talked back to her when he was seven. Mom weeps openly with pride. Marko's mom is so cute. This was lovely all around.

All-Stars, hit the showers! It's contestant duet time!

Caitlynn and Tadd, foxtrot w/ Jonathan Roberts. Dancing to: "Top Hat, White Tie and Tails," Ella Fitzgerald. Concept: Golden-Age Hollywood dancing. Tadd takes to ballroom very well and this is a very fun and sweet routine. Very Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. Caitlynn's dress is working the stage really well. The "You Ain't Melanie" judgment: you sparkle! but together you're not very memorable and lacked the power and technique of a certain other dancer who is totally our favorite. Nigel does say that the "b" in b-boy stands for "ballroom." Gaga gives Caitlynn an amazing comment. I can't believe I'm quoting the guest judge verbatim two weeks in a row but here goes:

"Every once in a while, with your hands, I get a little bit of 'I've won a lot of trophies!' Right? And that's good that you've won a lot of trophies. That's nice. But you know what? After I sell a bunch of records, I take all the platinum ones off the walls, and I pretend like I haven't sold a damn one and I've got to go do it all again. So I think you should just go relax those hands a bit and just remind yourself that maybe the trophies are in the closet and just work that flower, honey!"

The thing is I know exactly what she is saying here. My brain has gone Gaga.

Marko and Ricky, hip hop. Choreographer: Tabitha and Napoleon. Dancing to: "Bad Boy for Life," Diddy featuring Black Rob and Mark Curry. Concept: Dancing Janitors. They have brooms, rags and caps. Gaga will hate the props! They do great aerials together. They could be hitting it harder thought. At the end the tempo picks up and Ricky outdances Marko in this moment in my opinion. Good for him! The "You Ain't Melanie" judgment: Great work! Maybe one of you will avoid the bottom 2? I'm not sure... Nigel is trying to get Ricky votes! This is the least partial SYTYCD judging panel ever. Gaga again attacks the Nappytabs props and choreography. Rob defends them and calls the choreo "exquisite." The celebrity judges have really grown bold in shouting out their favorite dancers and least liked choreographers. I like it!

Jordan and Jess, rumba. w/ Jason Gilkison Dancing to: "Set Fire to the Rain," Adele. Concept: A sexy Rumba! Except, it's not super sexy, The chemistry is not there. It's too bad. Love the song, but there's just not much here to write home about. Ooh, there is one really nice lift. Good on you, Jess. The "You Ain't Melanie" judgment: We love what you can do! What can't you do besides win this show? Gaga says there was nothing wrong with it, but would've interpreted the song differently. Mary thought it lacked chemistry and an elasticity of movement that is necessary for the sensuality of the rumba. Hmm. Not a great note to end on for these two.

Melanie and Sasha, jazz w/ Sonya Tayeh. Dancing to: "Game On," District 78. Concept: Unleash the Beasts! It makes sens to pair these two, sine Melanie and Sasha are kinda the frontrunners right now. The audience and judges go CRAZY for this routine, but for me it's not the performance of the night. They are very different dancers in terms of body type and style. It's just a little off for me. They're awesome, but they're not as locked into each other as partners as I would like. The "You Ain't Melanie" judgment: Someone in this pair will win the season! Gaga throws a giant shoe at them and Sasha catches it and clings to it. Since Melanie will eventually take the title, Sasha is keeping that shoe! Gaga throws her other shoe at Sonya. Everyone just keeps screaming! Look, the show is over. Go home!

So the dances this week in order of my preference go as follows:

Melanie and Neil's contemporary
Marko and Allison's contemporary
Melanie and Sasha's Jazz
Ricky and Marko's Hip Hop
Pasha and Sasha's Quickstep
Caitlynn and Tadd's fox trot
Ricky and Anya's Jive
Caitlynn and Ivan's Hip Hop
Tadd and Lauren F's Jazz
Jordan and Ade's Jazz
Jess and Lauren G's Hop Hop
Jess and Jordan's Rumba.

Next up: Results Show. 2 more get eliminated. If I had my pick it would be Jordan and Jess, but it will probably be Caitlynn and Ricky. Who is deciding who goes home this week? The judges are the voting public? It's unclear. And are we really only 2 weeks from the end of the season? I feel like we could've gone at least to the end of August without getting tired of this group. Ah well. Rob Marshall is back as a judge tomorrow and Gaga is performing. Hopefully she'll perform live and have some All-Stars backing her up (maybe actual back-up dancer and SYTYCD alum Mark?? Fingers crossed!) which is the way it is meant to be in all-star seasons!

THURSDAY - The Top 8 do a Tyce circus number to the Water for Elephants soundtrack. I actually like it a lot. The contestants are in tons of costume and make up so i can't really tell them apart, but it's really cool. In the audience Tyce is in tears to finally not have his choreography bashed for a whole week.

It's time for eliminations bottom two girls: Jordan & Caitlynn. Bottom two guys: Jess and Tadd!! Oh, wow. Ricky is safe! That means that Jess is pretty much assured to go home. Wow, I didn't think Ricky could outpace both Jess and Tadd in the votes. But Ricky gets to watch the visiting dance number while the others prep for solos. We get treated to a fun LXD number with Christopher Scott. Nobody flips or slinks across the floor like LXD. I swear it feels like they defy the laws of physics.

Now to the solos. Jordan is meh. Jesse has the bway mannerisms dialed up to 11, but he's totally fighting to stay which I respect. Caitlynn is hot but this is her weakest solo to date. Tadd does amazing b-boy tricks by hanging off the lighting towers. Then he flips right of the stage and runs around the studio. He's awesome fun.

Then the judges leave to figure out who's going home. Gaga's performance is taped (boo!) but at least she's actually singing. She performs Edge of Glory and You and I. Mark is there! Yay Mark! He's the best. Gaga does a good job too.

Then it's time to cut some awesome dancers. Nigel lets the axe drop on Jordan and Jess. Just like I wanted! For the record, Tyce's routine claimed another dancer this week. They both hold up the tradition of being very gracious in their exits. The remaining 6 dancers wait anxiously for the okay to rush back on the stage and hug them. Cat says goodnight without telling us who the new All-Stars are next week! Katee and Jakob, please? PLEASE???

By Kshell

The Seattle Seahawks announced that they will not bring back long time starting quarterback Matt Hasselbeck. That news has set off a ton of emotions amongst Seahawks fans. For the most part the people in the Seattle Sportsblog group reacted pretty well to the news. For me this is a bittersweet move which I'll explain in more depth later on. The last time Matt Hasselbeck didn't start a game for the Seahawks was in 2000 so for the first time in over a decade there is some mystery at quarterback for this franchise. A franchise who missed the playoffs in the entire 1990's because they didn't have a solid long term solution at quarterback. The fans are fearing that will happen to them again. The same fan base that trusts Jack Zduriencik no matter what won't trust Pete Carroll which I find surprising. The Seahawks are moving forward as a franchise which is always tough and there is never a happy ending. In this following post I'll explain why Carroll made the right decision in letting Hasselbeck go. I'll also talk about the great career Hasselbeck had with the Seahawks.


For me this is a sad move as Hasselbeck was always my favorite player. I used to always wear his jersey at games and wear it every Sunday. Hasselbeck was the face of the franchise for a decade and he was a great person off the field. He was the leader for the franchise, he was the heart and soul of the Seahawks. Hasselbeck was always a great interview regardless if he played well or played terrible he never made excuses either. When you look up "pro" in the dictionairy you'll see Hasselbeck's picture. Hasselbeck with the Seahawks is a three-time Probowler(2003,2005 and 2007) while leading the franchise to the playoffs six times in the last eight years. Before 2003 the Seahawks had made the playoffs just once the previous 14 seasons. With the Seahawks Hasselbeck threw for 29,434 yards while completing 60.2% of his passes with a rating of 82.2 which is pretty good. He also threw for 174 touchdowns to 128 interceptions with a record of 69-62. His best year was in 2005 when he led the team to the Super Bowl. During that season Hasselbeck threw for 3,459 yards while completing 65.5% of his passes with a rating of 98.2 which is pretty incredible. He threw for 24 touchdowns that season to just 9 interceptions. Hasselbeck was also a playoff warrior throwing for 2,741 yards in 11 career games while completing 58.4% of his passes for a rating of 84.4 which shows he stepped his game up. He threw for 18 touchdowns to 9 interceptions in his postseason career. Hasselbeck had a great career and someday he'll be rewarded with a trip to the Seahawks Ring of Honor. Unfortunately for the Seahawks that doesn't help the team going forward.


I haven't seen the city react this way towards a team letting go of an icon since the Seattle Sonics traded away Gary Payton. I was in high school back then and that pissed me off when Payton was dealt. Looking back that was one of the best(few) moves Wally Walker ever made. The Sonics were ripped a new one and Walker traded Payton to the Milwaukee Bucks. Payton would never play in an all-star game again while the guy they traded him for Ray Allen would play in four all-star games with the Sonics while leading them to the division title in 2005. Had the franchise resigned Payton they would have been set back a decade. Fast forward to 2008 new GM Sam Presti traded Ray Allen away and Rashard Lewis. He was also killed but look at the franchise now? They were in the Western Conference Finals. Had Presti resigned Lewis and kept Allen they would be some middle of the road West team struggling to get out of the first round. That is why fans should never be GM's because there is no place in sports for emotional decisions. This sounds terrible but you need to be very cut throat in sports. No player is above finishing his career off with another team.

I know the Seahawks will get killed for this decision. Let people kill this decision those same people killed the Philadelphia Eagles for trading Donovan McNabb in division. The Green Bay Packers were second guess for two straight seasons for letting Brett Favre go. Well the Packers won a super bowl three years after being "dumb" and the Eagles with Michael Vick look great for another five to six seasons. Had either franchise hung on to the past they'd be in terrible shape right now as we speak. If Jerry Rice and Joe Montana can finish off their careers with another team then any player in the NFL can finish somewhere else. Hasselbeck for as great as he was isn't that quarterback anymore. In the last three seasons he is just 12-23 as a starting quarterback with 34 TD's to 44 INT's while completing just 58.5% of his passes. He was great in the playoffs but that shouldn't erase being below average for three straight seasons. Hasselbeck is 35 years old with a quarterback rating of under 76.0 the last three seasons. The Seahawks were left with no choice but to say good bye to Hasselbeck.


In sports it is always tough to say good bye to a franchise leader. For Pete Carroll unless he wins a Super Bowl will always be hated as he'll be known as the guy who let Hasselbeck go. I give Carroll credit for moving this franchise forward instead of clinging to mediocrity which is what the Hasselbeck era has become since 2005. Unlike the Seattle Mariners who sign 33 year old players to a five year deal worth 90 million dollars the Seahawks are moving forward. Will the Seahawks benefit at first? No they won't in fact I expect them to be terrible this year. Will the Seahawks be better off long term? Hell yes! They'll find their franchise quarterback in next years draft so knowing that will make the pain of this year go down easier. The Seahawks don't want to be like the Mariners where they are last place while paying an icon top money for what he did yesterday instead of what he can do tomorrow. In the world of sports loyalty can only go so far. The great teams who consistently win like the Pittsburgh Steelers, New England Patriots, and Philadelphia Eagles are the three most cut throat franchises in the NFL. They constantly tell their old guys "thanks for the career but there is the door." That is how you have to run a sports franchise to be successful.

In conclusion, I'm sad to know Hasselbeck won't be with the Seahawks this year. I'm also happy knowing that my franchise doesn't make moves based on fan reaction instead they make business like moves. Just remember John Schneider came from the Packers so he saw first hand the circus of the Favre saga. He also saw the Packers win a Super Bowl three years later so he'll take some heat knowing down the road he'll be getting praise from those same people. The Hasselbeck era is good for both parties but mark my words the Seahawks five years from now will look back happy with this decision. There is no room for loyalty and when Hasselbeck retires I can't wait to see him inducted in the ring of honor I just don't want him being my quarterback for 2011 and 2012. The Seahawks made a tough decision today letting Hasselbeck go and I have a feeling one of their faces on defense will be let go later the preseason. For now I'll thank Hasselbeck for his great career in Seattle while being excited knowing the Seahawks management got this tough decision right.

Detroit Business Consulting (DBC) was nominated in the spring as one of Detroit's Top Workplaces of 2011. The entire company took surveys in June that covered every aspect of the company, employee satisfaction, and management styles. The results of these surveys will determine the ranking for the company in August when the results are announced. The nomination itself is a huge honor, but we are definitely excited to see the results when they are released!