I'll Never Think Sucking is a Good Thing

[bmorepunk]

After the previous week's loss, and on and off over time, I've seen a lot of "the best thing for the Seahawks is to miss the playoffs" sentiment on this forum. I strongly disagree with this. I know people think that losing is some kind of high probability ticket to massive improvements to the team (at this time, particularly coaching), but I find this to be wishful thinking when things aren't perfect rather than a good idea. Criticism and disappointment are fine, but when I see people wishing the present away in the hopes of some future that has an array of possibilities that include insane mediocrity and terribleness I'm pretty baffled.

With a big win against the Eagles last night, you get that feeling like maybe this team could do something. And if even they can't, they keep it close and entertaining, nearly every game, and pretty much through through the whole season during the Pete Carroll era. This team is always in games, always in the playoff and therefore Super Bowl hunt. They may not get the #1 seed that gives them the best chance to go to the Super Bowl every year, but the last 15 years of Seahawks football has been an unprecedented success we will not likely see again in any of our lifetimes.

It's not all rainbows and unicorns all the time, but I'm a 40 year old who remembers what life was like before. I missed those early 80s teams (I saw them but I don't really remember that well). All I knew before Holmgren was infinite ineptness and "could have been". And that was just in the hopes the team could get a playoff berth. Just a simple playoff berth.

It took 21 years for this team to win a playoff game between 1984 and 2005. 21 years. You could have had a kid and they could have reached drinking age in the period of time. A 20 year military career is shorter than this. This team has won a playoff game in 9 of the 12 last seasons. They've been to two Super Bowls and won one. Few teams have had this kind of success. Ever. I'd take another streak like this with zero Super Bowl wins instead of that 21 year stretch that encompassed basically my entire childhood, college years, and young adulthood until I was 28.

Remember that stretch between the 89 and 98 seasons where this team got zero playoff berths? Zero. I still had fun watching the team, but it isn't this. I'll take a 7-9 "worst playoff team ever" that results in one of the most absurd runs in NFL history.

Seriously, you should be enjoying this stuff. It's okay to not enjoy it all or criticize coaches, players, whatever. But don't lose sight of how awesome this is.

 

[AgentDib]

Agreed. It's easy to look at draft position on paper and speculate about the benefits of getting a higher pick. Even if you're out of the playoffs, however, wins are still worth a lot because it's better to learn about things that work than things that didn't work.

Most NFL teams are similarly talented but there's a sort of alchemy that occurs in NFL locker rooms between the merger of coaching philosophy, team chemistry, and player motivation. The outlook for a team like the 49ers that started 0-9 is a lot rosier now that they've put together a couple of wins. Suddenly there is some positive reinforcement for their system and it's much easier to build off of that than a pattern of hopelessness.

 

[MontanaHawk05]

We lost our top draft pick to an ATV.

Play to win.

 

[kidhawk]

I agree.

I was thinking last night after the game, that this team is one of the most frustrating and fun to watch in a long time. No they aren't going to run over the league and just beat up everyone in their path. Yes they are going to lose games they should win easily and win games people don't expect, and that is what I love about the NFL. You just never know what's going to happen week in and week out. I enjoy the build up to the game, rooting for our Seahawks on every down. I get frustrated and upset with each bad play and increasingly so when we lose (although I have found over the years that it's easier to get over the losses than it used to be). I also enjoy the great plays we make and the big wins we get even more when they don't always come so easy. This season has had lots of ups and downs, but this team can beat the best in the league. They can also lose to any team in the league. This dichotomy is what makes each week so exciting.

 

[Sgt. Largent]

That thread was from someone who's in the VAST minority of Hawk fans.

Go ask any perennial loser fan in cities like Cleveland that's had a bajillion first round picks, and still stink. High picks don't guarantee anything, other than you stunk the year before, and are probably going to stink for a while.

Even if we don't win another SB, we have it great right now in Seattle. You give me a great owner and good GM/coach/QB combo, and I can almost GUARANTEE you'll be competitive and have a chance every year to win.

And as a fan, that's really all we can ask for.

 

[Ad Hawk]

Good post.

Some here think we have an almost supernaturally talented team that should be doing more than they are. While talented, I'd suggest that the overall skill differences between out players and others in this league are closer than many make them out to be. For instance, is ET a great safety? Yes, because of his speed and ability to diagnose, he plays fast. But he still occasionally whiffs on tackles, bites on the QB's eyes misdirecting, and has even lost coverage behind him on rare occasions. He's mortal, limited, and not perfect.

And just because someone plays well enough to make it to the pro bowl one year doesn't mean they'll play at that level in a sustained way, or even every game. Unrealistic expectations make some people think we should win it all with this team's "unprecedented talent", and since we're not, they have to blame someone (usually coaches, since it couldn't be the players' fault).

The parity in this league makes it difficult to rise above average, yet we've done it year after year since PC arrived. And let's not forget, it was PC and JS that assembled this talent and coached it up. Another head coach may be a great situational play-caller, teacher, and motivator, but misjudge talent. Then we're in a worse place.

Maybe some people need the Hawks to win so they can have some kind of personal bragging rights, or wins are their only source of happiness (I hope not), or other need for some psychological support or mental crutches. Winning is all that matters. How sad...

Yet, we just beat a top-ranked team, we have a winning record, and have also beat the best team in our own division. We can compete with ANYONE, and that's fantastic.

I'm totally enjoying this stuff. There's no need to blame anyone. It's entertainment, and are we not entertained? Yes, yes we are. And guess what? We're still poised to win more games, including the playoffs, if that's what people need.

 

[sutz]

Oh, and we're just two wins away from maintaining our run of 10+ win seasons, too.

 

[Sports Hernia]

Always, always, always, play to win. Get into the playoffs and you have a shot at winning the Super Bowl. No playoffs, no chance at a Super Bowl.

Of course HFA is a HUGE aid in getting to the Super Bowl.

A good GM can find gems in any round as JS does frequently.

 

[rjdriver]

Enough Said

 

[oldhawkfan]

At the end of the day at the end of the season, this whole thing is nothing more than entertainment. Unless any of us are the privileged few to work or play in the NFL then if you aren't entertained by winning seasons, playoff appearances and potential Super Bowls, take up knitting.

 

[Ad Hawk]

At the end of the day at the end of the season, this whole thing is nothing more than entertainment. Unless any of us are the privileged few to work or play in the NFL then if you aren't entertained by winning seasons, playoff appearances and potential Super Bowls, take up knitting.

Nice. :lol:

 

[sutz]

I never understood the whole Suck for Luck thing. Losing can get to be a bad habit that is really hard to break.

Winning is in large part an attitude. While there are differences in the amount of talent teams around the NFL have, most teams are fairly equal in talent. The rules try to maintain that status, and it takes some epic front office/ownership effort to counter it and suck for decades at a stretch. Intangibles mean a lot in the league, and they can swing momentum both ways.

Play to win. As a fan, I root to win.

 

[chris98251]

I think sucking for picks would destroy the teams unity and drive, these guys have played to win their whole life, a owner or GM that creates a situation where the team loses is a slap in their face, they have played the game their whole life really and know bullshit plays and calls versus competitive decisions.