On Wednesday, the Seahawks took the first snaps at their new practice and training facility. Although the Virginia Mason Athletic Center (VMAC) will not officially be open until the 18th, the Seahawks saw fit to begin using the facility.

The facility is located between Interstate-405, and Lake Washington in Renton. It includes 4 fields, one of which is artificial turf and located indoors. The locker room is enormous, and the facility itself is huge. Some players even remarked that the facility was so big, they didn't have time to walk through the whole thing because their legs got tired.

With a top of the line facility, will the Seahawks be a top of the line franchise and win the big game this year? Lets see how much impact VMAC will have.

Continue reading "Hawks break in new digs"

I hope Mark Cuban was watching when Germany handled Angola, 95-66.

Dirk showed when he was at his best. No, not against extremely sub-par talent (true as that may be), but when he has a big man who can score inside on his team. Dirk was allowed to roam around the perimeter, and drive without drawing double teams. 

Dirk and Chris Kaman (Clippers) combined for the first 13 of Germany's points, and for 47 of the 95 overall. Kaman looked to be the more dominant player, taking control of the paint on the offensive end.

Maybe this is a sign of things to come for their respective NBA teams. The Clippers have a shot to make the playoffs and win a series, while the Mavericks are falling fast with their lack of a respectable Center.

Pay attention to the Olympics Mark Cuban, you just might get some ideas.

Continue reading "Dirk and Kaman too much to handle"

Here is the beginning to my Seahawks preview. I will be going through position by position and previewing the year each position will have. Today: QB. To the depth chart we go.

1. Matt Hasselbeck: Finally becoming a household name around the NFL, Hasselbeck had his best statistical season last year. He ranked 8th in the NFL in passing yards (3,996) and 6th in TD's (28). On an even better note, he had more then twice as many TD passes as INT's.

2. Seneca Wallace: How long he will be the #2 is up in the air. Holmgren trusts him with the ball, but would prefer to have him returning punts and kicks, and the occasional receiving down. I personally think that Seneca would be a great backup, because he allows you to change the pace of the game if Matt went down. Wallace was impressive in the first preseason game against the Vikings, going 15/20 with 165 yards and 3 TDs. He has shown flashes of brilliance at QB during regular games as well, mainly two years ago when he stepped in when Matt had to miss extended time. Look for him to be the #2 QB, but also be a key part of special teams.

Continue reading "Seahawks Position Preview: Quarterback"

Ryan Rowland-Smith's debut as a starter was unspectacular. His line:

5.2 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, 103 pitches

To elaborate farther, Rowland-Smith did not have a great overall outing. He only had 8 ground balls compared to 7 flyballs and 4 line drives. 

So much for Tacoma helping him out, huh.  Im hoping Morrow will be a bit better in his return. With Jarrod Washburn on the way out, and Batista being in the bullpen, there will be plenty of starts for the young guns in the majors this year.

If the prospects the Mariners have work out on the pitching end of things, assuming Aumont isn't another Ryan Anderson, here is the projected rotation in a few years:

1. Felix Hernandez
2. Brandon Morrow
3. Ryan Rowland-Smith
4. Philipe Aumont

Continue reading "Rowland-Smith falters in return"

The running game: Last years problem, this years question. Can the Hawks regain the running prowess after cutting Shaun Alexander? Lets start with the halfbacks.

1. Julius Jones: Jones is just the type of runner that Alexander was not. Jones runs hard and is not afraid to take people head on. Problem with him is, that he is best used as a tandem back. Good News! The Seahawks have that tandem. Expect Julius to get 45% of the carries.

2. Maurice Morris: The second half of the tandem. Morris is a great change of pace back, yet still runs north-south the majority of the time. Showed some greatness last season when he took over carries from Alexander. Look for Morris to receive 40% of the carries, and make the most of them.

3. T.J. Duckett: The 3rd leg of the backfield. Duckett is pure, unadulterated power. He will be used for mainly short yardage situations, and could be used as a fullback with Morris in the game from time to time. Duckett ensures that someone in the backfield will dish out some punishment to defenders. Look for T.J. to get 10% of the hand-offs.

Continue reading "Seahawks Position Preview: Running Backs"

Mariano Rivera is all kinds of clutch. In non-save situations, his ERA is 3.00. In save situations, it is an outstanding .30. No, that was not a typo, .30. If you need a win, call The Sandman.

The Houston Chronicle thinks that the Astros should pursue Barry Bonds. I think he should just retire and ride off into the jailhouse.

Livan Hernandez got murdered in his first outing with the Rockies. He gave up 9 runs, in 2.2 IP. He blamed the layoff between starts, but I blame it on his lack of any kind of pitching skill. He lacks velocity, control and movement. What else could he have that keeps him around in the MLB? Innings. He can pitch 200 innings every year without problem. Have fun with Livan Colorado!

Bad news Mariner fans: Willy Bloomquist is done for the season. He severly pulled his hammy, and will probably miss the remainder of the year. Also, he will probably be done as a Mariner. He most likely will move to the National League, where the game fits his style and he could get more playing time.

Continue reading "MLB Notebook: The Sandman, Bonds, Livan and Willy"