Worst Time of the Year

The days are getting longer, and the sun is hanging out. Plants are starting to perk up and people are digging out their sunglasses (or buying new ones). 

This is the WORST time of the year.

Why do I say that?

I have two words for you:

FREE. AGENCY.

I'm sure most of you have realized by now that I have almost an unhealthy level of emotional investment in the Seahawks. So the past few weeks have been hell on my nerves... knowing which of our players are up for free agency, which ones we're hoping to keep but might not, and who I PERSONALLY feel like we need to keep.

And then come the early releases... the people that the GM and coaches know we aren't going to keep and let go before free agency begins.

"Big Red" Bryant

The captain of our defense, someone who came back from a major injury with force, and who started his NFL career back in 2008 with the Seahawks, and has been loyal to us since.

Jacksonville, you got yourselves a hell of a football player. I'll miss you Big Red.

Sidney Rice

Our wide receiver we acquired in 2011, but out for most of the 2013 season with a torn ACL. A good player for us when he was able to play. You may remember the game against the Bears in 2012 when he caught the ball thrown by Russell and won the game in overtime, but was knocked unconscious and spent the rest of the season out with the concussion.

Thank God the replays showed that he still had full posession of the ball when he cross the goal line, before all the shoulder meets head action occurred.

Another guy I am sad to see go, but although his injuries weren't something he could have avoided, it didn't leave a lot of good reasons to keep him around and take up salary cap.

Now, after the initial releases comes the real intensity. We let Red and Sidney go to free up $12 million to be able to pay some other players (think about that number for a minute... $8.5 million was what we were set to pay Sidney if we kept him, and $4.5 million for my homeboy Red. Not salaries to sneeze about...) so then you get to thinking about which players we could split that money up between in order to keep them on the team.

Then, enter one of my least desired outcomes.

Golden Tate

Integral in ending the referees lockout in 2012 with the infamous Fail Mary catch, my little Golden Tater tot has been with us straight from the draft in 2010 and has been one of our top receivers for the past two seasons. 

His less than attractive side came out with this little display of unsportsmanlike conduct in the 2013 season

I know there was a lot of excitement that we were about to score after a game filled with really poor performance, but really, NOT cute.

The news I got today really left me speechless. Mr Tate left us, SEATTLE, the team with the greatest fan base. For DETROIT. (Side note, I was venting to Chad today about this and he goes "well Detroit did better this year than I had expected..." You're right, they are right in line with us Chad. Totally the same thing.)

Granted, I understand that this is his JOB, it's not just some sort of hobby, so he has to keep his finances in mind. First I felt sad. Then immediately angry. Because of this quote:

"I probably shouldn't even say this right now, but I'm going to say it anyway just because I love Seattle. Honestly, I would rather take a little less to be happy and win ballgames than to take way more and go to a crappy city where the fans don't give a crap about the team"

Really my friend? You would take less money to stay in Seattle over going to another city that doesn't have as great of a fan base, and you choose the Detroit Lions?! Don't get me wrong, I'm sure Detroit is just lovely (I mean, I would chose the Motor City over the Emerald City any day... NOT), but there really isn't a team that has a better fan base than the Seahawks (I may be biased, but you can't deny it). 

I feel betrayed. Like he's been just lying to me. Like his loyalty was just superficial this whole time. I know that's probably NOT the case, but still. 

Anyways, like I said, I have a hard time even putting into words how I feel about losing our players. This post has quite literally taken me 2 hours to write.

So I'll just leave it at a fond goodbye to the players we've lost thus far, and hopes for keeping the other players that we have on the line right now.

A sad goodbye to

Red Bryant

Sidney Rice

Chris Clemons

Breno Giacomini

Clinton McDonald

Chris Maragos

and Golden Tate

High hopes left for

Doug Baldwin (teach me how to Dougie?)

Brandon Browner (you've let me down the past two seasons, but I'll give you a 3rd chance...)

Steven Hauschka (you're one of the few players that I can count on EVERY time)

Tavaris Jackson (some teams don't have a starting QB as good as you!)

Walter Thurmond

Paul McQuiston

Michael Robinson

Tony McDaniel

Kellen Davis

and O'Brien Schofield

Anyways my friends, that is what is going on in my life today. I'm sure you're all devastated that i didn't come up with a Weight Loss Wednesday post, but take comfort in knowing that my depression over the Seahawks pushed me into an extra long workout tonight that left me with no appetite and shaky from the extra energy I expended.