Complacency isn’t one of the Hawks’ problems
A GRIP ON SPORTS • One of the big selling points of youth sports revolves around learning "life lessons." Well, such things are not limited to the young. Seahawks' general manager John Schneider pointed out a "life lesson" yesterday everyone in business should listen to. Read on.
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• Rarely does anything an NFL general manager says have any relevance to the real world. At least the real world of business. The budgets they work with, the contracts and union relationships, the whole basis of the business is so different that little translates to the day-to-day, "real world" experience. But yesterday Schneider (pictured) said something in a radio interview that should be a mantra for anyone in an office or store or whatever. "If you are complacent in this business," Schneider told 710 ESPN in Seattle, "you lose your job." Schneider was speaking, of course, of the Hawks unexpected trade Tuesday in which they acquired All-Pro tight end Jimmy Graham, but he could have been talking about any workplace anywhere. Or at least he should have been. Complacency in any business should end up costing you your job. So what makes me an expert in these matters? Honestly, nothing. I'm not. But having lived – and worked – through the past 40 years, when newspapers went from being a must-have to an afterthought, gives one a certain perspective on complacency. And helps you appreciate Schneider's words. There was a time when newspapers were the Super Bowl champions of information delivery year-in and year-out. Oh, sure, radio was quicker and TV more visceral, but newspapers held all the power. Then along came a couple nerds with a logic board. And everything changed. But the powers that be in the newspaper industry, astride a world of influence and money, couldn't see it. Or the ones that saw the change on the horizon had no base from which to effect a course correction. Newspapers kept blithely sailing along until they hit the rocks, floundered and nearly went under. Complacency cost a lot of people their jobs. But don't think I'm just singling out newspapers. It happened to a lot of people in a lot of professions. If you ever drove through Detroit in the 1980s, you saw what complacency did to the American auto industry. Examples are everywhere, even today. Warning signs for those who follow. Paul Allen, the owner of the Seahawks, was one of those nerds who knew his way around a logic board. And that knowledge helped transform how people saw the world – and how they interact with it. So he, more than most, understands how complacency can open the door for the non-complacent, people willing to take risks and try new things. So it's little wonder he runs a football operation in which doing things differently is encouraged. Is Pete Carroll your typical NFL coach? Nope. Do the Hawks play the game like everyone else? Nope. Are they afraid to fail? Sure doesn't look like it, with examples as positive as giving Russell Wilson the starting quarterback job over Matt Flynn contrasting with the negatives, including the Percy Harvin trade or the last play of the Super Bowl. Go big or go home. And if there is anything we should have learned in the past three or four years about the Hawks it is this: People may lose their jobs, but it isn't going to be because they were complacent.
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• WSU: Speaking of going home, that's where the Cougars are headed after being bounced out of the Pac-12 tournament yesterday. Jacob Thorpe was in Las Vegas and has the coverage of the 84-59 loss to California, with a game story, a blog post following the contest, postgame interviews from the Cougars and the Cal Bears, and, finally, the stats. ... ESPN.com's Pac-12 blog continues its look at different positions in the North headed toward spring football, today looking at receivers. ... Jon Wilner continues his examination of the Pac-12's finances with the search for new revenue.
• Gonzaga: As we take a breath between the WCC tournament and the NCAAs, we direct your attention to the S-R's bracket of the 16 teams of the Mark Few era. The first round games have been decided in this imaginary world. ... Missed this the other day, but I thought I should pass it along. ... The GU baseball team swept a series in Arkansas.
• EWU: One of the things I really love about Twitter is being directed toward items I never would have found on my own. Then I can share them with you. Such is the case today. My friend Neil tweeted a link to this first-person piece from Tyler Harvey. It's worth passing along and recommending. ... Jim Allen is in Missoula, where he covered the Eastern women's first-round win in the Big Sky tournament last night. ... He also has an advance to the men's first-round game vs. Idaho, though you better read it quickly. The game starts in just a few hours. And, finally, Jim added some links today within this blog post. ... The hosts will face Weber State, which is looking for an upset. The Missoulian has an advance of that game along with links to advances of the other first-round games.
• Chiefs: Spokane will have to wait a while longer to secure a playoff spot. Chris Derrick has more on the playoff hunt in his weekly WHL notebook. ... Portland and Everett are battling for the U.S. Division title. They played for the final time last night with the Winterhawks winning handily, 6-1.
• Preps: Spring sports are just getting underway but there is bit of time to look back and pass along the all-league honors for winter sports. We were able to find some of the teams online this morning, but not all. We pass along the basketball ones we have, including the all-North Idaho girls and boys teams. ... The rosters for the Idaho all-star games have been set. As have the rosters for the Washington games.
• Seahawks: As could be expected, much of the conversation yesterday everywhere still centered round Jimmy Graham. The trade was dissected from every angle, from how Graham performs from the 1-yard line – as if Seattle will face a second-and-goal in every Super Bowl from now until Graham retires – to his ability to block. ... With Max Unger gone, the Hawks are looking at options at center, mainly among free agents. ... Remember all the ticket snafus at the Super Bowl? Well, the Washington attorney general's office does and it is doing something about it. So are the Seahawks. ... Byron Maxwell admitted the Hawks' offer was close. Just not close enough.
• Mariners: I don't know what is bigger news around here: the emergence of former U-Hi and Gonzaga pitcher Tyler Olson (pictured) this spring or the fact Will Ferrell will play second base for the M's today. Yes I do. It's Olson. And Ferrell? It's a charity thing. ... The Rockies handed Seattle a 4-1 loss yesterday. ... Instead of facing the Dodgers, an early season interleague foe, Felix Hernandez will pitch against minor leaguers Sunday. ... James Paxton returned to the mound yesterday. ... Danny Hultzen is ready to take the next step as well.
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• Hey, I'm not complacent. Just because I've done this column the same way since 2010 or '11 (I can't remember exactly) doesn't mean I'm complacent. I'm just lazy. There's a huge difference. Until later ...
