It’s been a wonderful season for the Seahawks
A GRIP ON SPORTS
It is Christmas Eve. The day to give an angel its wings. And to watch "It's a Wonderful Life." That is the 30-for-30 on Richard Sherman, right? Read on.
• Sherman, and the rest of the Seahawks, have been living like your old building and loan pal these past few months, winning a Super Bowl earlier this year and putting together an even more resilient season since September. It's been fun, though it hasn't come without some angst. The past five weeks have erased some memories, most notably the midseason slump that made the five-game win streak necessary. Contained within that was the Hawks lone NFC West defeat, a 28-26 decision at St. Louis. Yes, the Rams' win was keyed by two trick plays in the punting game, a 90-yard return following the greatest deke in NFL history and a converted fourth-down pass by punter Johnny Hekker – from the Rams' 18-yard line – that kept the ball out of Russell Wilson's hands late. But that's the way the Rams play, as if they have nothing to lose. You know why? Because they have nothing to lose. They aren't going to the playoffs, again. Their coach, Jeff Fisher, isn't going to be fired. So they can play with abandon. If the two fakes hadn't worked the first time? The Rams would be 5-10 instead of 6-9. Big deal. That loss would drop the Seahawks' record to 3-3 and made another Super Bowl run seem like a fantasy. So would a 24-20 loss at Kansas City four games later. At that point, with the meat of its schedule ahead, Seattle was 6-4, trailed Arizona by three games and seemed destined for a holiday without hope. And did I mention its best defensive lineman, Brandon Mebane, had just been lost for the season? Then, like Jimmy Stewart after he found Zuzu's petals, the Bedford Falls-like world returned. Or maybe it was middle linebacker Bobby Wagner, I'm not sure which. I spent a lot of that part of the season in Pottersville. Anyhow, the Hawks went on a tear, a dominating five-game winning streak that has them on the cusp of another home-field run through the NFC playoffs. Only the Rams, the Mr. Welch of the Hawks' life, stand in the way. If Seattle can avoid another sucker punch, the regular season will be considered a success. And the playoffs will seem like a stroll down Main Street.
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• WSU: The Cougars are shedding veteran defenders like, OK, I won't make a bad defensive analogy. But another upper-class linebacker is leaving the program. This time it is a legacy, Tana Pritchard. Jacob Thorpe has more on his departure in this story and blog post. ... Jacob also has a morning post with links. ... The quarterback position in the Pac-12 next year will be in somewhat of a state of flux.
• Gonzaga: The Zags were off yesterday but Santa Clara played, and lost to, Cal Poly. BYU, meanwhile, got past UMass in overtime after the Minutemen missed a free throw at the end of regulation, which could have won the game.
• EWU: Cooper Kupp just seems to keep earning national honors. ... Tom Clouse has is weekly women's basketball notebook and it begins with a look at how successful the local teams have been. That includes the Eagles, which just won a tournament no one in Florida expected them to win. ... Southern Utah picked up a pre-Christmas win in men's play, but Idaho State took a loss.
• Chiefs: It's Wednesday, so Chris Derrick has his WHL notebook.
• Preps: Shadle Park's Brett Rypien (pictured) picked up another honor yesterday, the state's 3A player of the year. ... We have a basketball roundup to pass along. ... A legend in state wrestling circles died recently.
• Seahawks: If the Hawks win Sunday, the only thing that can keep them from being the NFC's top seed is Detroit and Green Bay tying. ... The Pro Bowl teams were announced yesterday and the Hawks had five honorees. That wasn't enough for Sherman, one of the five. He wanted more. Though one of those "snubbed" just wants another ring. ... Pete Carroll addressed that when he spoke with the media yesterday. ... You know the best thing about Russell Wilson? He can get better. And Darrell Bevell thinks he will. ... A run like Marshawn Lynch had Sunday isn't just a product of the running back's ability. It also takes blocking. ... Hekker, a Bothell native, represented the Rams in media interviews this week. ... The Hawks are getting healthier again.
• Sounders: It's official. DeAndre Yedlin will be in England in January.
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• Yesterday was the day to air grievances, right? Some ancient holiday tradition so the rest of us could have a serene Christmas Eve and Day, isn't that it? I upheld the practice, though most of my worship time came while shopping in Costco. Talk about grievances – and way too many people. Wow. But now I am refreshed. And ready for the next couple days. I hope you are as well. We will be back Friday, unless one of my Christmas gifts is a $2.7 million trust fund. (My fingers are crossed.) Merry Christmas to you and yours. Until later ..
