It’s that time once again, everyone. Feel free to submit your pick for who your team is going to draft. I’d encourage everyone to also submit who you would like your team to draft, since it’s always fun to hear who people are interested in. (Only the former will be counted for the purposes of the contest.) I’m very interested in hearing who all of the Hawks fans out there are interested in picking, since there seems to be no consensus whatsoever concerning who Seattle should pick at #4.

As usual, the winner gets…well, nothing. I keep threatening to give someone a big sloppy wet kiss, but I’m not that cruel and, frankly, I don’t think anyone would buy that anyway. Good luck everyone.

Another NFL Draft is in the books. Did you watch it? Are you happy with what your team did? Do tell!

I guess I should take care of some business first. The winner of this year’s draft contest was…me. Granted, there were only two other people who submitted picks. (Which is OK, of course.) But I was only one pick off on my choice of Kentwan Balmer, which I’m sort of proud of. I’m trying to remember if we’ve ever had a draft contest where at least one person didn’t get their pick right on the nose, but I can’t. A special consolation prize to the Goat for guessing that the Hawks would trade down, though the trade we made wasn’t necessarily what most of us thought they would do.

Here’s a rundown of who the Seahawks drafted, along with a brief and very amateurish analysis:

1. Lawrence Jackson, DE, USC – Most mock drafts I looked at had the Hawks going D-Line with their first round pick, it was really just a question of who they’d go with. Jackson, Balmer, Calais Campbell and Phillip Merling were all linked to us here. Ruskell traded down to the 28th pick from the 25th, and netted a fifth and a seventh round draft pick from Dallas in the process. I feel like I should know more about Jackson, since SC has been on TV so much the last few years. As I can recall, he’s pretty tenacious and can get after the quarterback. I like his size; he should be an every down DE who can hold up against the run. I imagine Hawks fans will be comparing the progress of all these linemen to see if the Seahawks wound up taking the best available player. Jackson should compete against Darryl Tapp for a starting spot, and should help out in the DE rotation at the very least.

Apropos of nothing in particular, here is some ’80s music…

2. John Carlson, TE, Notre Dame – Did you know Notre Dame is French for “Our Lady”? Well, you do now. Does that mean Carlson is our lady? Never mind. Personally, this was one guy I really wanted. He seemed like the most complete TE in the draft, a guy with good hands who can be a threat in the passing game who could also block. I think that’s important. Judging by the fact that Keller went in the late first round and Fred Davis went mid second, I think Ruskell’s instincts were sound in moving up to get Carlson. The big question on everyone’s mind will be weather it was worth it go give up our third rounder to get him. At this point, I think you can pencil Carlson in as a starter. He came from a pro-style offense under Charlie Weis, was very productive when paired with a good quarterback (Brady Quinn) his junior year, and he seems to be a high character guy. I’m very pleased he’s a Seahawk.

4. Joseph “Red” Bryant, DT, Texas A&M – OK, I have to crow a little bit here, because I called this one. (Actually Rob Rang of NFLDraftScout.com called this one and I shamelessly stole from him, but it still felt pretty good.) Bryant is a big, strong, run-stuffing DT who will be able to occupy two blockers and really add to our depth on the defensive interior. Granted, he’s not considered much of a pass rushing threat, but he fills a very big need. Our undersized linebackers need that big guy in the middle occupying blockers in order to run around and make plays. With all of the issues that we’ve had at the position this offseason, I was pretty ecstatic that we were able to grab this guy.

5. Owen Schmitt, FB, West Virginia – I have to admit, I’d never heard of this guy before, but after seeing the video on ESPN and YouTube, I’m sold. This guy is an animal. He broke his facemask ten times in college, and apparently he likes nothing more than to hit people. This pick has Mike Holmgren written all over it. Apparently he’s tired of coming up short (pardon the pun) on short yardage situations. I’m really starting to like this draft.

6. Tyler Schmitt, LS, San Diego State – This is the first time I can remember Seattle ever taking a long snapper in the draft. However, if you watched us last year in our special teams, you know this was a need. Apparently this guy was the best long snapper in the country last year. The last two rounds are about filling needs and getting guys who can contribute on special teams, and the other Schmitt definitely fits that profile.

7. Justin Forsett, RB, Cal – I actually got to see this guy play a lot the past couple of years. He was a very productive back in college. A bit small at 5′8″; he looks like he’ll fit in as a change-of-pace back and as a return man.

7. Brandon Coutu, K, Georgia – Seattle winds up their draft by taking what many consider to be the best kicker in the draft. It’ll be interesting to see Coutu and Olindon Mare compete for the job out of training camp. Hopefully Coutu can make up for the loss of Josh Brown.

Overall I’d rate this draft as a solid B, with the potential to be even better if Jackson lives up to his first round grade. It’s interesting to me that, for an organization that prides itself on drafting the best player available, they were nevertheless able to fill a lot of needs (at defensive tackle, tight end, kicker and long snapper). I would have liked to see us add to our depth on the O-Line, at wide receiver and at linebacker, but then I learned long ago that you can’t fill all of your needs in one draft. Consider this, though; it’s not inconceivable that every one of our picks except Forsett could be a starter next year. Think about that. I think we really improved our team this weekend.

Some other thoughts…

- I’m happy for Jonathan Stewart that he went in the top fifteen. If he couldn’t become a Seahawk, then I would have hoped he’d go in the top part of the first round. Still, I also kind of wish he’d gone to the NFC, since I think he’s going to be a very productive back and could produce some headaches for us the next time we play Carolina.

- How frustrating was it to watch Rashard Mendenhall slide all the way down in the first round only to see the hated Steelers snatch him up two picks before us? I can’t really complain, since I never expected Mendenhall to fall to us anyway, but it would have been pretty sweet if we could have gotten him.

- Speaking of Pittsburgh, they drafted Dennis Dixon in the fifth round. I’m happy for the guy, and I think that could be a good situation for him since he can learn behind Rothlisberger. Kudos also to Geoff Schwartz, who went to Carolina in the seventh round.

- Overall, I thought the Chiefs had the best first day of the draft. Glenn Dorsey looks like a steal and Brandon Albert was also great value for where they got him. Pittsburgh not only lucked out with Mendenhall but also might have gotten a very good receiver in Limas Sweed in the second round if he can stay healthy. I also thought the Packers did a pretty solid job moving down and stockpiling some need picks. I liked Jordy Nelson, and I think Brian Brohm fits in well with their offense. Dallas looked like they did some pretty good things as well.

- Disappointments? Well, I’m tempted to say that New England (sorry, Aaron) reached on Jarod Mayo, though he does fill a need, and the Pats seem to know what they’re doing. In Oakland, Darren McFadden is a boom-or-bust type pick at a position where they were already pretty deep. And I’m not sure if the Falcons really needed to move up into the first round to take Sam Baker. Then again, if Matt Ryan turns out to be a pro bowl quarterback, no one in Atlanta is going to complain.

That’s it for now. Thoughts, anyone?

Last night my friend Katie and I ventured to Seattle to meet some friends for a Mariners Doubleheader. The Cleveland Indians (love me some Grady Sizemore) were in town for a four game stretch, making up a game from April when Cleveland was covered in snow.

 The games were fun as baseball is always better live and in person. Cleveland killed them in the first game. The Mariners came back to win game 2 but we left before that as we had been at the stadium since 3:30pm and we were both worn out, seeing as how we had pretty much ate as much as we possibly could).

The best part of the game was when Katie and I went for a walk around the lower level of the stadium (I was hoping to get some pictures of Grady up close and personal but I didn’t). As we were walking around the stadium we realized that the Mojo Photos that they had been advertising all game was there. Since the line wasn’t too long we decided to pose. I mean why not it is free. Our picture was really funny as Katie wanted to put her arm around Raul Ibanez and I made a silly face.

The outcome:

If you are ever at Safeco for a game I suggest stopping and posing. I mean it is free after all.

Happy Thursday!

Specifically in the Tacoma News-Tribune… Pretty cool, no?

If anyone out there feels like buying a copy of today’s paper and sending it to me, that would RAWK.

I’ve still got some spaces available in our Ooh! Ooh! Look at Me! Fantasy Football League if anyone is interested in playing with the likes of KB, Mark R., and the Bellinghamsters… The scoring is designed to punish incompetence as much as reward brilliance, so it should be extra fun… Let me know if you’re down as soon as possible…

First of all, I’m going to be out in Seattle the weekend of September 21st; I’m flying out for KB’s B-day festivities and to watch the Seahawks make some Bengal jerky :] Hopefully I’ll get to see a bunch of you guys…

Secondly, I hope all of you will vote for Springfield, IL to host the world premiere of The Simpsons Movie on July 26th. I know some of you may be tempted to vote for Springfield, OR for obvious reasons, but I hope my promise of a full report from the premiere will sway your ballots in my direction. Voting closes at 11:59 PM west coast time on July 9.

Speaking of The Simpsons Movie, has anyone been to the Seattle Kwik-E-Mart yet? We’re planning to visit the one in Chicago next week (as part of an Ikea-inspired day-trip of course)…

Finally, what do you think of the idea of a nationwide Presidential recall vote? Many states have such a mechanism (most famously, California)… At the federal level, super-majorities would have to be involved of course (perhaps 2/3rds of state legislatures AND majority votes from both houses of Congress AND a 70% popular vote majority)… As an idea… so good or no good?

The Indianapolis Colts received their Superbowl rings in a ceremony last night. Here’s a photo of the most coveted ring in sports, 2006 edition.

I think it’s pretty darn spectacular, but given my bias, my opinion on it is completely worthless. What do you think? The only real critique that I have is that I think the horseshoe would looke better if it was filled with either sapphires or whatever those little round things are.

Also interesting is that the ring is emblazoned with the word “faith” on one side. This isn’t surprising considering the beliefs of owner Jim Irsay and coach Tony Dungy.  I think most of the Colts are Christian, but I wonder what the non-churchgoers, if any, feel about it being on their ring.

Looking back at the rings of Superbowl’s past, they didn’t seem to get overly gawdy until the early 90s. Although most rings are classic looking, you can see how styles have changed with silver (or is it white gold or plantinum?) bands coming into favor.

I miss football, but there is only two more months until the preseason. Is it too early to start making predictions for next year?

All my rooting for the Sonics to tank it down the stretch this season payed off this evening when the locals lucked into the second pick in the draft. This means Seattle will probably wind up with Texas forward Kevin Durant, who looks like he’s going to be a 30 ppg. scorer in the NBA for the next decade-and-a-half. It’s sort of bittersweet for Sonics fans, who suffered through the team’s worst season in two decades amid rampant speculation that the team is out the door. So this was welcome news for the long suffering locals.

Of course, it was even better news for our I-5 rivals, the Portland Trail Blazers, who wound up with the first pick. They already have Brandon Roy, and Zach Randolph is a pretty good player when he’s not being a locker room cancer. If I’m Portland, I get what I can for Randolph, install Lamarcus Aldridge in the starting lineup and watch the team develop with their big three. I imagine Kables has to be pretty happy about this, given that the Blazers are the team he grew up with and all. The Portland-Seattle rivalry just got a whole lot more interesting.

Actually, it was almost as much fun watching the good folks over ESPN go apeshit over two teams from the Pacific Northwest getting the NBA’s next two superstars. (Funny how no one said anything like this when Melo went to Denver…) Stephen A. Smith seems to be under the impression that no one watches basketball outside of the Boston-New York-Philadelphia corridor. (And, btw, condolences to Aaron on the Celtics missing out. This must suck for Celtic fans ten years after the whole Tim Duncan debacle. Still…the Pats are Super Bowl favorites, and the Sawx are 10 1/2 games out in front in the AL East, so I think they’ll be able to cope.) It’s a miracle the Lakers haven’t gone bankrupt, what with being out here on the west coast and all. Maybe Smith thinks we’re two time zones to the west of Los Angeles. Go figure.

In the spirit of the Stanley Cup playoffs, I thought I’d a few hockey related posts might be appropriate. Here is the first. I know it’s not football, but bear with me here.

My hockey fanship was already firmly in place on March 22, 1989, but it was about to be cemented forever. That evening, when watching the news with my Dad, we saw a story about Buffalo Saber Goaltender Clint Malarchuk. The anchor warned that the footage we were about to see was gruesome and that people with weak stomachs should not watch the segment. Of course, this made me have to see it. The footage showed a Blues wing and Saber defenseman colliding skate first with Malarchuk who was down to cover the puck. The skate blade slit Malarchuk’s throat and blood poured onto the ice. I watched in horror as they showed the clip again and again. Miraculously, the Saber’s trainer reached into Malarchuk’s neck and pinched his vein closed while they waited for the ambulance. This saved his life. Malarchuk remained conscious through the ordeal and left the ice on While they waited, fans in the stands fainted, two had heart attacks, and countless (including some teammates) vomited.  He was rushed to the hospital where he received 300 stitches.

Thanks to the power of Youtube, you can view the accident. Watch at your own risk. It is horrific.

Then the game continued. That’s right. They kept playing. With a five foot pool of blood on the ice. Two weeks later Malarchuk came back to the team. I believe he resumed playing the next season. He played in the NHL for three more seasons before obsessive compulsive disorder brought on by the incident sidelined his career. How could this man, who nearly died on the ice, come back and continue to play? Somehow he did it, but I don’t know how. It seems like this would be an extreme test of conquering ones mental demons.

Goaltenders have always been my favorite (especially Olaf Kolzig and Grant Fuhr), but since the accident I have always looked up to Malarchuk for his athletic ability and how he handled the emergency. Not surprisingly the NHL changed it’s requirements on neck protection for goalies after this incident.

Thinking back on it today, I decided to google it to see if could find out what became of Malachuk after he retired. It seems he had stints as a goaltending coach for the Florida Panters and the Columbus Blue Jackets and he is also a horse dentist. I was surprised though to find a custom made action figure depicting the accident. I’m late in the game as Deadspin covered this last year. The fan-made figure was made using a McFarlane Toys goaltender action figure and was for sale on e-bay.  Part of me thinks it is pretty disgusting to profit (albeit in a small way) off of this man’s tragedy, but the other half thinks it’s an amazing piece of craftmanship in tribute to a part of hockey and NHL history.

You may remember the summer Olympics in 2004 when Michael Phelps was slated to tie Mark Spitz by winning 8 cold medals. It didn’t actually happen but he came close. I vowed then that I was going to keep up with Phelps until the 2008 Summer Olympics.  I’ve done pretty well over the last three years. Now that the Olympics are right around the corner there are more competitions leading up to the big event. This week it is the FINA World Championships in Melbourne Australia. Phelps is blowing them away…THREE WORLD RECORDS IN THREE DAYS. 

Here are videos of his three World Record swims. Can’t wait for 2008!