Pull a Knox and Bench Hass? Carroll Says No Way
First-year coach benches franchise icon QB in favor of untested youngster? Happened in 1983, when Chuck Knox benched Jim Zorn and went with Dave Krieg, who led the Cinderella Seahawks to the AFC Championship. Apparently won’t happen this year, as Carroll launched a firm defense of Matt Hasselbeck at his Monday morning press conference.
Revisionist Locker History
Husky coaches and quarterback apologists are trying to put a better spin on Jake Locker’s horrible performance Saturday. Evidently it was not as horrible as it looked: Receivers couldn’t get separation, Nebraska was able to get pressure with 4 down linemen, and the running game wasn’t effective. The basic concept is that Brett Favre himself couldn’t have done much better. Bob Condotta summarizes Hugh Millen’s take here…take it with a grain of salt, as Millen has never seen a quarterback he doesn’t like.
Point Guard Andrew Andrews Signs with Huskies
Andrews, a 6-2, 175 lb. point guard, seems to be a bit of an unknown in the world of recruiting coverage. He goes to Benson Tech in Portland, which is not a powerhouse. That might help explain it. Andrews is a high school senior, but he’ll go the Isaiah Thomas route and spend a year in prep school before joining the Dawgs.
What They’re Saying
“I thought in the second half there were moments there that we lacked the competitive nature that this program prides itself on, and I was disappointed in that. That will never happen again.” Coach Sark [TNT]
“Matt’s our guy, and we’re counting on him. We feel fortunate to have Charlie waiting in the wings, but it’s not his time yet.” — Pete Carroll [ST]
“(Carroll) did call me out right after the game on the turnover thing. And I expect that. And I have no problem with that.” — Matt Hasselbeck [TNT]
“The denial fostered by the Seahawks front office, past and current, the Seahawks coaching staff, past and maybe current, and so many Seahawks fans is like that of an addict. Hasselbeck is the constant, why must we change, compromise and deny everything else to continue that fix?” — John Morgan [Field Gulls]
In Other News
Golden Tate will continue as the Seahawks punt returner (duh.) Leroy Hill hurt his calf and probably won’t play Sunday. Russell Okung may practice…next week. Has to prove he can run first.
Blaise Nkufo won MLS player of the week. Nkufo had a hat trick in Columbus on Saturday.
Husky LB Cort Dennison, who missed the Nebraska game with a concussion, will play Saturday.
Justin Holiday talks about his summer and about the upcoming season with the Times’ Percy Allen, and promises “a lot more scoring.”
Steve Kelley talks to Ken Burns about Ichiro. Burns compares Ichiro to Greta Garbo. “If you asked, of all the actresses of the thirties who was the most famous, your answer would be the one who never talked. It’s a mystique.”
Yuniesky Betancourt went 4-4 yesterday. His OPS stands at .693, which would be 3rd on the M’s, behind only Branyan and Ichiro.
Today’s Action
Mariners @ Toronto, French vs. Rzepczynski, 4:07 p.m. (FSN).
Tacoma vs. Columbus @ Oklahoma City, AAA Championship Game, 5:05 p.m. (VERSUS, 850-AM).
