Despite the chopped-up off-season, Seahawks laid the wood to the Falcons 38-25 in Atlanta, led by stellar showings from Russell Wilson and newbie SS Jamal Adams.
Author: Art Thiel
Art Thiel
Never having met a metaphor he could not twist beyond recognition, Art has been illuminating, agitating, amusing and annoying Puget Sound sports readers for a long time. Along with Steve Rudman, he co-founded Sports Press Northwest because it didnt seem right that the Google monster should aggregate daily journalism into oblivion without at least a flesh wound from somebody. Thiel and Rudman labored under the Seattle Post-Intelligencer globe until the print edition died an undeserved death in March, 2009. Art continued on at its online successor seattlepi.com while working on SPNWs creation. His radio commentaries can be heard Friday and Saturday mornings and Friday afternoon on KPLU-FM 88.9. In 2003 he wrote the definitive book about the Seattle Mariners, Out of Left Field, which became a regional bestseller. In 2009, along with Rudman and KJR 950 afternoon host Mike Gastineau, Thiel authored The Great Book of Seattle Sports Lists, a cross between historylink.org and Mad Magazine that has become mandatory reading for any sports fan who has an indoor bathroom. A graduate of Pacific Lutheran University as well as two dead papers and a live one, the News Tribune of Tacoma, he has become a fan of entrepreneurial online journalism because it allows him to continue a lifelong passion to take the English language to places it rarely visits willingly, and does not involve the cleaning of kennels or stables.
The Seahawks travel a long way this COVID season — five East Coast games. But the defense figuratively has to go farther to get respectable. It’s up to two guys.
Pro athletes, who are paid to perform in the moment, are having to help lead anti-racist activism, a very long game. Despite the awkwardness, there is a good sign.
First games often are clumsy, but Seahawks have to fly cross-country in a pandemic to play an improved Falcons team that nearly stunned them in ’19. And don’t get cooties.
Even with Jadeveon Clowney, the Seahawks didn’t have a good D-line a year ago, lit up by Matt Schaub and Josh McCown. The off-season repair looks dubious.
Seahawks finalize their 53-man roster, but it doesn’t include Jadeveon Clowney. He leaves a hole in the defense that they haven’t filled through a long off-season.
Although he remains on suspension, the Seahawks re-signed one-time superstar WR Josh Gordon. Team and player seem to have mutual neediness.
Practice time has been meager, and distractions many, for the NFL’s rookie class. Seahawks likely will have only one first-year starter. Expect things to clank early.
RB Chris Carson has earned the respect of his NFL peers. But whether he earns a second contract from Seahawks depends on whether he stays healthy and stops fumbling.
Mariners’ three-game home series against Oakland has been postponed because of a positive test for COVID-19 among the A’s. Two doubleheaders have been booked.