Could Peyton Manning Land in Seattle?

Seattle may be the place to make his second Super Bowl ring a reality.

The Seattle Seahawks are one of many teams courting Peyton Manning this offseason.  After stunning the Giants and Ravens, the Hawks are poised to be a contender in 2012.  Peyton Manning could be a piece to that puzzle that makes Seattle competitive once more. 

There are many reasons why it would make sense for Peyton Manning to come to Seattle. 

  • It's hard to ignore just how similar the markets of Indianapolis and Seattle are. Both are modestly-populated cities with relatively minimal media presence. Both also have passionate, boisterous fans that seem to turn star players into idolized, larger-than-life figures.
  • Unlike many of the potential new homes for Manning (San Francisco, New York and Washington), Seattle offers Peyton the weapons he needs for immediate success – including the security of a dominant rushing attack. With the boisterous, bruising Marshawn Lynch, Manning's offense can take on a dangerous added dimension.
  • Set to make just $4 million next season, the 'Hawks can afford to keep Tarvaris Jackson in Seattle.  Manning's health will still raise red flags throughout 2012, and having a serviceable backup in Jackson would be a serious relief. The presence of Jackson alleviates the overwhelming pressures that Peyton faces in his return to the gridiron.
  • Throughout his career, Manning has been nothing short of dominant against the NFC West.
  • Peyton wouldn't have to break a sweat over foreign West Coast formations or any other tricks Pete Carroll has up his sleeve. With the offense already tailored to his playing style, a West Coast relocation seems more and more natural.

With Manning at the helm, Seattle has a serious shot at earning its first ring. Peyton will be looking to bolster his resume with a second Super Bowl title, and with an impressive run game and defense, Seattle just might have the right pieces in place to make that a reality.

Goodbye Joe

What was and what could have been

Joe Paterno, the longtime Penn State coach who won more games than anyone in major college football, died Sunday (01-22-2012) morning.  Paterno, 85, built his program on the credo “Success with Honor” en route to winning 409 games. He took Penn State to 37 bowl games and two national championships, while More than 250 of the players he coached went on to the NFL.  Furthermore, more than 80% of his players actually graduated college within 6 years, tossing the “jock” stereotype our of Penn State.

Despite the accomplishments of Mr. Paterno, it seems that the end of his life will be marred by his firing amid a child sex abuse scandal that upended his reputation for integrity. It took a mere few days in early November for him to be forced from his job because he failed to notify authorities in 2002 when told a young boy was molested by former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky in the football team’s locker room showers. Eleven others have come forward to say they also were molested, while Sandusky has maintained his innocence.

“As the last 61 years have shown, Joe made an incredible impact,” said the statement from the family. “That impact has been felt and appreciated by our family in the form of thousands of letters and well wishes along with countless acts of kindness from people whose lives he touched. It is evident also in the thousands of successful student athletes who have gone on to multiply that impact as they spread out across the country.”

Paterno’s death is a tragedy in that it cuts short what could have been a process of education and seeking forgiveness. If Paterno had lived, and had been lucid enough to come to terms with his abdication of responsibility; if he had sought forgiveness for it and worked to help other programs become safer, more responsible and responsive organizations, he could have made a contribution to coaching far beyond his work elevating the Nittany Lions into a nationally competitive program.

No matter what may have happened.  My heart goes out to his family.  Did he make mistakes, yes.  Did he do some good in this world? Yes.  Which one created the greatest impact? Only time will tell.

Sports in Seattle

Which sport will garner the next champsionship for Seattle?

Since the Seattle SuperSonics left in 2008 there is a bit of a vacuum in professional sport in Seattle during the winter.  For you hockey fans, the Seattle Thunderbirds are actively playing during the winter.  But, for many of us, there is a bit of a wait until the Mariners start their spring training.

Here is a short list of professional teams in Seattle.  I’m sure to miss one or two.  If so, please add a comment with a link to update this blog.

And…for Seattle-based colleges:

The current Sounders won the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup in the team's inaugural season of 2009. The Seattle Sounders FC won the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup again in 2010 becoming the first MLS team to have back-to-back U.S. Open Cup Titles. Seattle continued its U.S. Open Cup dominance in the 2011 campaign becoming the fourth team ever to win the tournament three consecutive years.

The Seattle Storm won their second WNBA title in 2010, beating the Atlanta Dream in 3 games.

Seattle has a total of 7 championships - one Stanley Cup, one NBA Championship, two WNBA championships and three U.S. Open Cup Championships.  Which sport will garner number champsionship number eight?