Spread the Word Baby, Omar Back

It's been quite some time since my last post, and a whole lot has changed. I went from living on a couch in Battery Park City to a air mattress, then futon in Harlem, and now have a crib in the East Village. Unemployed to intern to full time employee. Cheering for Durant at the NBA Draft to Felix in the Bronx to the Seahawks in Green Bay. Added a few Facebook interests (cheese, Kenny Mayne hosting SportsCenter), found a few new bars to frequent (Lucy's, Mudville 9), got hooked on a few TV shows (The Wire, Lost). I missed over half of 2007 here in Cyberspace. I guess that's what happens when you get a job.

Despite my job, I still managed to get out and experience one of my favorite things in life: Live sporting events. Here's a rundown of what I've been up to:

• NBA Draft, Madison Square Garden: Sporting my Chris Wilcox t-shirt, I was in the front row of the back section of the MSG WaMu Theater, and was officially the first Seattle Supersonics fan in the world to shake the hands of Kevin Durant and Jeff Green. I also gave props to fellow Washingtonians Spencer Hawes and Rodney Stuckey. Been there, done that, bought the t-shirt.
• Yankees/Angels, Yankee Stadium: When a few of my buddies from Boston came to town and we had extra tickets to a Yankees game, naturally we all put on Red Sox gear and made a trek out to the Bronx. One of us had a few too many beverages beforehand and nearly instigated a riot, as the entire stadium booed us and tried to get us kicked out. It was arguably worse than it would have been had the Yankees actually been playing the Sox. Remind me not to do that again. I'm not even a Sox fan.
  
• Yankees/Devil Rays, Yankee Stadium: On a nice Friday night in July, I got to see the Yankees get crushed by Tampa 14-4. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it.
  
• Yankees/Mariners, Yankee Stadium: I got to see King Felix pitch for the first time in my life, and he delivered: 7 innings, 1 run, 5K in a 7-1 Mariners victory including an Ichiro! home run. The hopped on the subway to go to...
  
• US Open, Queens: Roger Federer defeating Feliciano Lopez, 3-6, 6-4, 6-1, 6-4. We got hooked up with incredible seats. What a day of sports.
• BC/FSU, Chestnut Hill, MA: The beginning of the end for BC Football, this is when the wheels came off. I should have learned my lesson and not attended any other games.
• BC/Maryland, College Park, MD: If the wheels came off against FSU, the whole thing caught fire and burned to the ground at Maryland. Not even my Jesus piece could help us.
• Sonics/Knicks, Manhattan: Kevin Durant's first trip to the Mecca, and boy did he impress. Led the Sonics to a 117-110 victory with 30 points, including key buckets down the stretch and a thunderous jam right on David Lee. I loved it. Spike Lee would disagree.
• Blazers/76ers, Philly: After meeting Greg Oden and spending a day with reporters demoing College Hoops 2K8 (I love my job), we posted up 7 rows back on the baseline for the Blazers/Sixers game. I was excited to see my boy Brandon Roy play, and by halftime the game was an embarrassment: 45-27, advantage Portland. But the Sixers came out hot in the 3rd quarter and eventually completed the improbable comeback, winning the game by 4 points. It was the first time I had ever seen Louis Williams play. I added him to my fantasy team the next day. The kid is going to be good.
  
• Mavericks/Jazz, Salt Lake City: After I missed my connection in SLC back to NYC from Sun Valley, I rang up my one friend from Mormon Country and he had a spare ticket to the game. I have honestly never seen an NBA crowd quite like Utah--every single person was engaged, the place got LOUD, and everyone stayed until the finish. Deron Williams is going to go down in history as a great point guard. Mark my words.
• Seahawks/Packers, Frozen Tundra, Wisconsin: This trip truly deserves its own post, but I'm not sure that'll happen or not. The abbreviated story: 14.5 hour drive from NYC to God's Country, freezing weather, snowflakes as big as softballs, lots and lots of cheese, and the best experience you could ever have while watching your favorite team lose a playoff game on the road. Simply amazing. Until that 14.5 hour drive home.
• Clippers/Knicks, Manhattan: Typical Knicks game, they stayed in it for nearly 4 quarters before letting the game slip away with 3 minutes left. It was great seeing David Lee dunk on Chris Kaman, exclaiming "That was out of this world!" after a Sam Cassell drive, and discussing how he was an "All-Universe" guard, representing Mars.

The main staple of The Roundup has been sports, especially attending games live. Doing so is one of the things in life that I truly value. Sure, I grew up watching Michael Jordan on NBA on NBC, but I'll never be able to tell my kids that I saw him in person. But over the last 7or 8 months, I've added some good new ones to my list. Crawford, Felix, Federer, Ryan, Durant, Green, Roy, Igoudala, Louis, Dirk, Deron, Favre... and of course, the only extra terrestrial playing professional sports, Sam Cassell.

Sports Icons of my Childhood

My dad recently mailed me an article from the Seattle P.I. about Sonics play-by-play announcer Kevin Calabro, and it made me realize how much I loved watching the mid-90s Sonics play. As entertaining as Gary Payton, Shawn Kemp, Detliff Schrimph, and Sam Perkins were to watch, it would not have been the same without Calabro. I began to think about the sports icons I looked up to as a kid in Seattle… and here are my top ten:

1. Ken Griffey, Jr. – “Junior” as he was called burst onto the scene and took the Mariners from cellar-dweller to one of the most exciting teams in Major League Baseball. The "Refuse to Lose" 1995 season was one of the best summers of my life, going to games and listening on the radio as Griffey ironically had his first injury plagued and worst year of his young career. But he came up big in the playoffs, hitting .391 with 5 home runs against the Yankees. One of the great sports images in my mind is his picture-perfect swing. But the memory that will always stick with me of Junior was the image of him under a pile of teammates after scoring from first base on an Edgar Martinez double to win the ALDS. I’ve never seen someone run as fast around the bases in my life. It was the most amazing sporting event I have ever attended.

2. Marquis Tuiasosopo – The Washington Huskies option-quarterback from 1997-2000, he was one of the most exciting players I have ever watched. His freshman year he was forced into a game against eventual national-champion Nebraska due to an injury to the starting quarterback and threw for 270 yards and 2 TD, and that season became the first ever true freshman to start a game at quarterback for the Huskies. His career highlight came his junior year, where he became the only player in NCAA history to pass for over 300 and run for over 200 yards in a game, a 35-30 victory over Stanford. I remember watching that game, and I have never seen a performance like it. It was even more impressive than Vince Young’s Rose Bowl. No joke. In his senior season in 2000, Tuiasosopo led the Huskies to the Pac-10 title, an 11-1 record, and victory over Purdue and MVP in the Rose Bowl.

3. Shawn Kemp – The Reign Man, as Calabro called him, was a force to be reckoned with. He teamed with Payton to be one of the great guard/forward dynamic duos of all time. Like Payton, Kemp left Seattle on bad terms and ended his career even worse, but while he was in the Emerald City, he was king. I think only Ken Griffey, Jr. surpasses the excitement that Kemp brought to the Seattle sports scene. Like Griffey’s swing, Kemp’s dunks captivated an entire city during his reign.

4. Kevin Calabro – An amazing play-by-play announcer, with catch phrases such as “and Shawn Kemp takes it down THE BOULEVARD!” and “million dollar move, five cent finish.” His talents on air led to his simulcast of games on both TV and radio. Not many broadcasters can cater to both mediums at the same time.

5. Edgar Martinez – “Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeedgarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!” I’m not sure who started it, but some crazy fan decided he would yell Edgar’s name for as long as he could when he came up to bat. It caught on and every time he came to the plate, fast scattered throughout the Kingdome (and later, Safeco Field) would compete and try to have the longest yell. I remember one time I almost passed out from trying to yell so loud. I also remember Edgar Martinez hitting the double that drove in Joey Cora and Ken Griffey, Jr. to beat the Yankees in game 5 of the 1995 ALDS. Edgar was a clutch performer and a class act, as well as a pleasure to watch play.

6. Randy Johnson – The mullet, the slider, the fastball, and the intensity all took a major part in my love for Randy Johnson. A few Randy moments stick out in my mind above the others… the 500ft bomb he gave up to Mark McGwire while he was on Oakland, when he came out of the bullpen to face the Yankees in the 10^th inning of Game 5 of the 1995 ALDS, and even his first game back in Seattle at the newly opened Safeco Field in 1999, when he shut us out and struck out 10 in a complete game, and received a standing ovation after each inning.

7. Dave Niehaus – The voice of the Seattle Mariners, I would listen to him every night until we got satellite TV (cable couldn’t run out to our house). I could never ask for more than the Mariners loading the bases, because if someone hit one out of the park it was time to “GET OUT THE RYE BREAD AND THE MUSTARD, GRANDMA! IT’S GRAND SALAMI TIME!"

8. Gary Payton – The Glove burst onto the Seattle scene from Oregon State and quickly made a name and reputation for himself throughout the league as a trash talker and defensive stopper. He ran the Sonics of the 90s, who will probably go down as one of my favorite bunch of balers of all time. He left Seattle on poor terms, but while he was there, it was nothing but love for GP.

9. Jay Buhner – “The Bone” was famous for his bald head, high strikeout rate, power at the plate, “the catch” in Boston where he went over the wall in right, his rocket arm, and my favorite, Buhner Buzz Cut Night. One year as a promotion, the Mariners gave free tickets to anyone willing to have their head shaved. Each year, Buhner Buzz Night became more and more popular, even attracting women to participate. Every team needs a character and a tough guy. Buhner was both, and I loved him for it.

10. Cortez Kennedy – It is kind of sad that there is only one Seattle Seahawk on the list, and that he ranks tenth, but they were a straight AWFUL team throughout my childhood. Not to say I didn’t root for them and follow them, but there just were not a whole lot of players to become attached to. Shawn Springs was the only other guy who came close to making the list. Besides, the 1990s were a great decade for the Mariners and Sonics. Regardless, Cortez was a pleasure to watch, and was good enough to win NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 1992 on a team that won only two games.

NFL Season Review

This NFL season was full of highs and lows for all teams, and especially my Seahawks. Shaun Alexander fell victim to the Madden Cover Jinx. Matt Hasselbeck hurt his knee. Jerramy Stevens missed the first part of the season recovering from surgery. Bobby Engram was out with a thyroid condition. There were various injuries across the offensive line. And just as everything was coming together before the end of the season, Darrel Jackson and Marcus Trufant get hurt. And to top it off, in the season finale against Tampa Bay, the Seahawks lost cornerbacks Kelly Herndon and Jimmy Williams. So going into the playoffs, the Seahawks will be starting a rookie and a safety at corner. But despite those downs, the fact that the Seahawks won the division and made the playoffs (with a weak 9-7 record in a weaker NFC) is still something I will take. If you told me before the season what all the injuries would be, and that the Seahawks would make the playoffs anyway, I would've called you a liar.

So with the playoffs starting next week, now is a good time to look back on the season and hand out a few accolades.

My First Team Selections

NFC Offense:
QB - Drew Brees, NO: Bounced back from shoulder surgery to have an MVP caliber season in his first season in New Orleans. Also considered: Marc Bulger, StL.
RB - Frank Gore, SF: Injuries in college caused Gore to slip in the NFL Draft two years ago. He's stayed healthy in the pros, and led the NFC in rushing. Also considered: Tiki Barber, NYG; Brian Westbrook, Phi; Stephen Jackson, StL.
FB - Mack Strong, Sea: The perfect name for a fullback, he has a game that is close to perfection as well.
WR - Torry Holt, StL: One of the most underrated players in the league. Also had one of the best plays of the year when he juggled and under thrown ball and beat two Seattle defenders for a TD.
WR - Donald Driver, GB: Another underrated receiver, he's not afraid to go across the middle. Also considered: Roy Williams, Det; Anquan Boldin, Ari; Steve Smith, Car; Darrell Jackson, Sea.
TE - Alge Crumpler, Atl: Vick's favorite and only dependable target for the Falcons. Also considered: Chris Cooley, Was; Jeremy Shockey, NYG.
T - Walter Jones, Sea: The best player in the NFL according to The Sporting News.
T - Chris Samuels, Was: An essential piece to the Redskins ground attack.
G - Steve Hutchinson, Min: Seattle misses Hutch this year in both the running and passing game.
G - Shawn Andrews, Phi: The 340-pounder has emerged as one of the best linemen in the game in his 3rd season.
C - Olin Kreutz, Chi: A very mobile center, the Bears like to pull him around the line on outside runs.

NFC Defense:
DE - Aaron Kampman, GB: Leading the NFC in sacks.
DE - Leonard Little, StL: Has 7 forced fumbles to go along with his 13 sacks. Also considered: Julius Peppers, Car; Will Smith, NO.
DT - Corey Redding, Det: Leads NFC DTs with 8 sacks.
DT - Tommie Harris, Chi: The run-stopping anchor of the Bears defensive line. Also considered: Kevin Williams, Min.
OLB - Lance Briggs, Chi: Lead the NFC with 113 solo tackles.
OLB - Julien Peterson, Sea: Has 10 sacks, the second highest total from NFC linebackers. Also considered: DeMarcus Ware, Dal; Derrick Brooks, TB.
MLB - Brian Urlacher, Chi: The best defensive player in the NFL. Also considered: Lofa Tatupu, Sea.
CB - Ronde Barber, TB: For most of the season, he had more touchdowns (2) than twin Tiki.
CB - Charles Woodson, GB: Rejuvenated in Green Bay, had 8 interceptions. Also considered: Terrence Newman, Dal; Marcus Trufant, Sea; DeAngelo Hall, Atl.
SS - Adrian Wilson, Ari: Led all safeties with 5 sacks, and added 4 interceptions. Also considered: Roy Williams, Dal.
FS - Sean Taylor, Was: The hardest hitting defensive back in the league, leads all safeties in tackles and puts fear in the heart of any receiver attempting to go across the middle. Also considered: Brian Dawkins, Phi; Ken Hamlin, Sea.

AFC Offense:
QB - Peyton Manning, Ind: You can't say enough about how good Peyton Manning is. I just wonder if he'll ever be able to win in the playoffs. A great actor as well. You know, that is if you like 6'5" 230lb quarterbacks with rocket laser arms. Also considered: Tom Brady, NE; Carson Palmer, Cin; Phillip Rivers, SD.
RB - LaDainian Tomlinson, SD: The most dynamic player in the NFL. Shattered Shaun Alexander's TD record before the ink could dry in the record books. He can throw for touchdowns too. Also considered: Larry Johnson, KC.
FB - Lorenzo Neal, SD: He and Mack Strong are a rare breed of run-blocking fullbacks. Lo Daddy has blocked for a 1,000 yard rusher in 10 straight seasons on 5 different teams.
WR - Chad Johnson, Cin: Ocho Cinco has emerged as the best WR in the game in my opinion. It's too bad the NFL put a limit on what he can do after he scores touchdowns.
WR - Marvin Harrison, Ind: Manning's favorite target, he is one of the best route-runners in the game. Also considered: Reggie Wayne, Ind; TJ Houshmandzadeh, Cin; Lee Evans, Buf; Andre Johnson, Hou.
TE - Antonio Gates, SD: The ex-college basketball star continues to tear up opposing defenses for the potent San Diego offense. Also considered: Tony Gonzalez, KC; Todd Heap.
T - Jonathan Ogden, Bal: He and Jones are the two best linemen in the NFL.
T - Willie Anderson, Cin: Rudi Johnson gets a fair share of his yards running behind this mammoth tackle.
G - Will Shields, KC: The Chiefs like to pound the ball up the middle. And it works, as seen in Larry Johnson's spectacular season.
G - Brian Waters, KC: See above.
C - Nick Hardwick, SD: The third-year center is emerging as one of the best in the NFL.

AFC Defense:
DE - Jason Taylor, Mia: He shed a lot of weight but is still dominant on the line and impossible to stop.
DE - Aaron Schobel, Buf: Leads AFC linemen with 14 sacks. Also considered: Jared Allen, KC; Derrick Burgess, Oak.
DT - Jamal Williams, SD: The nose tackle in the deadly San Diego 3-4 defense, he is the best run-stopper in the NFL.
DT - Warren Sapp, Oak: Washed up? Not yet. Sapp had 10 sacks this season. Also considered: Richard Seymour, NE.
OLB - Shawne Merriman, SD: Missed 4 games when he violated the league's steroid policy, yet still led the NFL with 17 sacks.
OLB - Adalius Thomas, Bal: Has began to outplay even teammate Ray Lewis. Just don't say that to Ray-Ray, or Thomas could be a victim of a homicide that Lewis somehow escapes from. Also considered: Terrell Suggs, Bal; Andra Davis, Cle.
MLB - Zach Thomas, Mia: A mainstay in the Miami defense, year after year he holds the team together. Also considered: Al Wilson, Den; DeMeco Ryans, Hou.
CB - Champ Bailey, Den: The best corner in the league, he has the ability to shut down any wide receiver he lines up against.
CB - Rasheen Mathis, Jax: With 8 interceptions on the season, Mathis is emerging as one of the top corners in the game. Also considered: Quintin Jammer, SD; Asante Samuel, NE; Darrent Williams, Den (RIP).
SS - Troy Polamalu, Pit: A very versatile safety, he has the ability to shut down tight ends in coverage and creep up to stop the run. Quarterbacks always need to be aware of where he lines up on each play. Also considered: Chris Hope, Ten.
FS - Ed Reed, Bal: One of the best safeties in the league, Reed is versatile enough to return puts, so when he gets his hands on an interception, the runback could be a real treat. Also considered: John Lynch, Den.

Clearly it is a little tough to evaluate positions like offensive linemen, and much of my selection for the other positions are based strictly on what I saw on SportsCenter and statistics because I couldn't watch every game, but I am fairly confident in my selections. I do feel I need to give out a few major awards though.

MVP: Tomlinson. Although Brees put up an MVP season with what he did in New Orleans, you can't not give this award to Tomlinson.

Defensive Player of the Year: Urlacher. Nobody else brings as much to the table as he does for the league's best (when healthy) defense.

Comeback player of the Year: It looked as though it was going to be Donovan McNabb until he tore his ACL. So I'm going to have to give it to Steve McNair. He may not have put up gaudy numbers in Baltimore, but he led them to the AFC's second best record.

Rookie of the Year: There is no rookie that stands head and shoulders above all the others. Reggie Bush, Maurice Jones-Drew, Marques Colston, and Vince Young all had seasons deserving of the award. But Devin Hester (cornerback and kick returner for the Chicago Bears) takes the cake in my book based on his returning ability. For a team with an awfully inconsistent quarterback and sometimes lackluster offense, Hester provides a scoring punch in his return game.


For many of you, the season is over. I am lucky enough to have my team to follow in the playoffs (who knows how long though), but for those of you who don't, I'll help you to begin to look forward. Here's a quick list of players to watch next season. These are players who are beginning to emerge as stars and I feel could break out next year. Once again, for positions other than RB and WR, it's a little tough for me to follow.

QB: Jason Campbell, Was; Vince Young, Ten.
RB: Brandon Jacobs, NYG; Maurice Jones-Drew, Jax; Chester Taylor, Min; Jerious Norwood, Atl; Michael Turner, SD.
WR: Reggie Williams, Jax; Reggie Brown, Phi; Greg Jennings, GB; Eric Parker, SD; DJ Hacket, Sea.
TE: LJ Smith, Phi; Vernon Davis, SF; Marcedes Lewis, Jax
T: Jeremy Trueblood, TB; Marcus McNeill, SD.
DE: Mathias Kiwanuka, NYG.
OLB: AJ Hawk, GB.
MLB: DeMeco Ryans, Hou.
CB: Kelly Jennings, Sea.

And next season's comeback player of the year? If McNabb can stay healthy, he'll get it.

Bit by the Injury Bug

By now you've all heard of the "Madden Jinx." The player who ends up on the cover of Madden gets injured, and that team's season is ruined. It dates back a while. When I first heard Shaun Alexander was going to be on the cover of the 2007 edition of Madden, I was worried. But then I convinced myself that there couldn't really be a curse. Just a very consistent coincidence. Then after the Seahawks Week 3 win over the Giants, Alexander was diagnosed with a broken foot. "Out indefinitely" was the initial report. There is a chance he could return next week at Kansas City, but is most likely out until Week 9, a Monday Night matchup with the mighty Oakland Raiders. Luckily this wasn't a season ending injury. But the Madden Jinx cannot be ignored. No, it is to be blamed. Lets take a look at the history of the Madden Jinx:

• Donovan McNabb, 2006: McNabb suffered a sports hernia in the first game of the season. Not to mention all of the TO drama he had to deal with the remainder of the season. He played 9 games before missing the rest of the season.
• Ray Lewis, 2005: Lewis didn't get hurt until the last game of the season, when he broke his wrist. But it was his first season of his career in which he failed to intercept a pass.
• Michael Vick, 2004: The day after the game hit shelves, Vick fractured his right fibula during the preseason. He missed the first eleven games of the year, and had his worst QB rating other than his rookie season upon his return.
• Marshall Faulk, 2003: An ankle injury forced him to miss two games, and was held under 1,000 rushing yards for only the second time in his career. He would never again break the century mark.
• Daunte Culpepper, 2002: A year after throwing 33 touchdowns, Culpepper struggled to a 4-7 start to the 2001 season before a season-ending knee injury.
• Eddie George, 2001: Perhaps the exception to the rule, George had a career year, but had a key fumble in a Titans playoff loss.
• Barry Sanders, 2000: After becoming the first player to appear on the cover of Madden (sharing the space with Madden himself), Sanders shocked the football world by retiring a week before training camp.

So the Madden Jinx is for real. I am convinced. I'm typically not a superstitious person. I feel being superstitious is bad luck. But I believe this one.

And the pain hasn't come to an end.

The Seahawks began the season without tight end Jerramy Stevens, a key piece to the high-scoring 2005 Seahawks offense, providing great speed at the tight end position, and a big red-zone target to a team with no starting wide receiver over 6'. He played for the first time in the awful Week 7 loss to Minnesota. But it seemed the team was coming together. A huge conference win as time expired vs. St. Louis the week before. A key offensive player returning in Stevens. Deion Branch adjusting and increasing his role in the offense. Alexander just a week or two away from returning.

And then it hit. On the opening drive of the second half, Vikings linebacker EJ Henderson was blitzing, got passed Mack Strong, and after an incomplete pass, rolled into Matt Hasselbeck's planted leg. Hasselbeck hit the turf immediately. He tried to get up, but couldn't put weight on the knee, and went back to the ground, pounding the grass in pain and anger. It wasn't a cheap hit, like Carson Palmer's injury last season in the playoffs. It was an accident. I'm not going to complain about that. But this injury possibly hurts even more than Shaun Alexander's.

Losing the MVP is never a good thing. But until last week, the Seahawks had actually played fairly well considering the fact that they were missing the league's leading rusher and touchdown-record holder from the year before. And that's because Hasselbeck makes this team go. The game was tied when Hasselbeck went down, but the Vikings took the lead on the ensuing drive, and soon led by two touchdowns. I think Seneca Wallace is a good backup quarterback, a change-of-pace scrambler who shows a different skill-set than Hasselbeck. But I am much more comfortable with Wallace in the game when the Seahawks have the lead. He has never started a game. Never had to lead the team in a close game. This wasn't ideal. Only Hasselbeck was going to lead the Seahawks back from a two-touchdown deficit, like he had done the week before and as he has shown the ability to do in the past.

So now the Seahawks, who have been defined over the past few years by Shaun Alexander and Matt Hasselbeck, have to rely on Maurice Morris and Seneca Wallace. I always thought Morris was one of those backups who would excel if ever given the opportunity to start. I was wrong. Hopefully he only gets one more before Alexander returns. Wallace, on the other hand, was one of my favorite collegiate players, but I'm not too sure what he can do leading a team for the next 3+ weeks. I'm excited to see if he can do it. Because if there is one word that defines Seneca Wallace, it is excitement.

The Seattle Seahawks: Getting Defensive

My Seahawks sit a lovely 2-0. Not the best season so far after squeaking out narrow Weak 1 win vs. the lowly Lions 9-6 and a 21-10 win over division foe Arizona in Week 2. One thing is apparent... the Seahawks are no longer a dominating offensive team. Maybe this is due to the departure of Steve Hutchinson, or maybe because Jerramy Stevens is out, or because last year everything just clicked. Whatever the reason, the potent offense isn't there anymore. I would still consider the Seahawks to have one of the best offenses in the NFC (especially after trading for Deion Branch), but it is becoming more and more apparent that the offense isn't the strength of this football team.

Last season, I saw it changing. Actually, maybe even a couple seasons prior. After Mike Holmgren picked offense with five of his six first round selections while acting as GM and Coach on a team in desperate need of defense, he stepped down from his role in the front office. To his defense, Holmgren did draft Shaun Alexander, Steve Hutchinson, and Jerramy Stevens with three of those picks. But he also picked Steve McIntosh and Koren Robinson, and his lone defensive first round selection was his first: DE Lamar King. Koren Robinson went with the 9th overall selection in the 2001 NFL Draft. This means Holmgren passed on Santana Moss, Reggie Wayne, Chad Johnson, Chris Chambers, Steve Smith, and T.J. Houshmandzadeh. And I don't even want to get into the great defensive players he could've snagged at that spot. Let's just say that Dan Morgan, Marcus Stroud, Adam Archuleta, and Nate Clements all went in the first round. That's three Pro Bowlers and one of the hardest hitting safeties in the league.

Then Holmgren stepped down from his GM duties. The Seahawks, who have had a good offense for a while but typically had their struggles on the defensive side of the ball, started to become a defensive team.

Over the three seasons following Holmgren stepping down, the Seahawks managed to draft six defensive regulars on this season's squad, including five starters (Marcus Trufant, Ken Hamlin, Marcus Tubbs, Michael Boulware, Lofa Tatupu, Leroy Hill). All of them except Hill were picked in the first two rounds. In the 2006 Draft, the Seahawks continued with defense, selecting Kelly Jennings and Darryl Tapp in the first two rounds. Jennings could very well be starting at CB by the end of the season, and Tapp will probably be starting at DE in one or two seasons. Tubbs will probably be starting by then, as well. If it works out like that, it would be 7/11 defensive starters drafted in the last four years, including the entire secondary and 2/3 of the linebacking core. Oh, and the Seahawks inked Julian Peterson (Pro Bowler) to a seven year deal. I like the way this sounds.

In 2005, the Seahawks were 7th in the NFL in points allowed, 5th in rush defense, and 10th in red zone defense. And this was with two rookie linebackers and an injury-depleted secondary. In 2006, this defense has looked absolutely frightening. They didn't let the Lions do anything in Weak 1 (I know, it's the Lions). And in Week 2, a potent offensive Arizona squad (who was most people's trendy sleeper pick in the NFC this season, I may add) was held to 256 yards, only 65 of which came on the ground. The defense is now in control. But all the press about the Seahawks is about the offense. Granted, the offense is home to the NFL's best player (Walter Jones), MVP (Shaun Alexander), a great quarterback (Matt Hasselbeck), and the receiving core has been all over the news because of the Deion Branch signing. So allow me to introduce you to the key players of the Seattle Seahawks defense:

• Lofa Tatupu, MLB: Made the Pro Bowl as a rookie, led the team in tackles, and controls the defense on the field. Recently compared to Ray Lewis. I don't like that comparison, because he hasn't stabbed anyone. Considered undersized at 6' 240lbs.
  
• Marcus Trufant, CB: Has become one of the best cover-corners in the NFC.
  
• Ken Hamlin, FS: Missed most of last season after getting jumped outside of a Seattle nightclub and having his skull fractured. He is a Sean Taylor type huge hitter and is very underrated.
• Michael Boulware, SS: Converted from OLB to SS when he got to the NFL. Great awareness, he always seems to come up with the big interception when it counts.
• Leroy Hill, OLB: Was thrust into the starting lineup after injuries depleted the linebacking core last season. Great run stopper and good pass rusher.
• Julian Peterson, OLB: Two-time Pro Bowler for San Francisco, one of the premier OLB's in the game. There aren't many others as good at pass rushing as he is.
• Grant Wistrom, DE: "Thor Power" as he called himself on Kenny Mayne's Mayne Event. Power rusher who can contain the run.
• Bryce Fisher, DE: 9 sacks last season, complements Wistrom's power rush with more of a speed rush.
• Rocky Bernard, Chuck Darby, Marcus Tubbs, DT: Rocky, Chuck, and Tubbs sound like they should be cartoon characters, partnering up to take over the world. Instead they clog up the middle and stop the run. Very sold three-man rotation.
• Kelly Herndon, Kelly Jennings, CB: The Seahawks will have a Kelly starting opposite of Marcus Trufant every game this season. It's the last name that may change. Herndon already covers the slot receiver in the nickel. It wont be long before the Seahawks top draft pick of 2006 (Jennings, out of the U) will be starting.

That's the defense. I hope the offense isn't offended, but there has been a change in the guard on the Seattle gridiron.