At the risk of raising the ire of the legion of baby boomers in Sooke, Victoria and the Pacific Northwest, I am officially going on the record as a despiser of all things Seahawkian.
It starts at the top with Pete Carroll, the coach who left USC after turning a blind eye to transgressions resulting in sanctions so severe Reggie Bush was stripped of his Heisman trophy.
Watching Carrol play the role of cheerleader exhorting the fans to make noise during Saturday night’s playoff game merely added to my hatred.
Once again, NBC analyst Cris Collinsworth was left fumbling for the right words to underline how Seattle managed to get away with two illegal blocks in the back that sustained drives, as well as a rare “uncatchable pass” call that killed the Lions’ chances.
To quote Monday Night football pundit Jon Gruden during a game this season: “Seattle always seems to get a couple of game-changing calls like that at home.”
And yes, he referenced the textbook description of pass interference perpetrated by Richard Sherman against Atlanta, and the debacle orchestrated by replacement refs several years ago that still has the stomachs of Green Bay cheeseheads churning, not to mention the Bride’s.
Speaking of Sherman, he typifies the arrogance that permeates both sides of the ball on a team with no shortage of strutting roosters, players that posture like they just won the Super Bowl, even after the most routine play.
I will exclude quarterback Russell Wilson from that discussion because he is a robot who has been programmed to the point where every word he says has been scripted and memorized.
I do take some solace in the fact he has so far failed to cash in on his self-appointed nickname, Dangeruss, outside of the Seattle area.
Now for those of you from Snohomish to Bremerton and beyond who are planning a road trip to Sooke to track down my sorry ass and administer a Legion of Boom-like whooping, please read the following disclaimers carefully.
My roots as a lifelong Denver fan date back to a childhood fixation with the Broncos logo. Plus, I had to suffer through one of Denver’s most humiliating Super Bowl defeats at the hands of the Seahawks several years ago. And less than 48 hours ago I had to watch my prospects of winning the playoff pool plummet off the proverbial precipice because I was the only loser in B.C. stupid enough to take the Detroit Lions over the Seahawks in Seattle.
So please cut me some slack because I do hope the ‘hawks make it back to the big game again this year. Of course, only to lose in even more heartbreaking fashion than when New England stole a victory away in the last minutes in 2015.
I still smile every time I remember the look on Sherman’s face that night. Like a seagull just crapped on his ice-cream cone.
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Rick Stiebel is a Sooke resident
and semi-retired journalist with a fixtation on the Denver Broncos.
Go figure.
