Seahawks season slips away, draft hopes grow

Previously, I wrote the following for the Examiner.

True, the season is not finished yet. However unless we can get our receiving corps back, get Hasselbeck in the lineup, and win seven straight, our season is finished. Even if we do manage all of that, we still rely on the Arizona Cardinals to falter. And though I want the Hawks to play every game like it’s a playoff, dreams of the 2009 draft keep popping up.

So what exactly are the teams needs?

An offensive lineman for sure, but who drafts an offensive lineman in the first round to turn a non-playoff team into a contender? That can wait until the second round.

Julius Jones has proved that he is the running back, at least for the next five years or so. And if you doubt that, look at his numbers behind the offensive line and without an effective pass attack to balance him out.

That gets me to quarterback. Sure, Hasselbeck is our quarterback. But how much longer is he going to be able to play to his current level? Seneca Wallace is obviously not the QB of our future, although he is a great backup. Plus it usually takes a few years for a college quarterback to adjust to the NFL, unless you’re Matt Ryan of the Atlanta Falcons.

My point is it’s time to use our first-round pick on our QB of the future. Even if he sits behind Hasselbeck for a few years, he would only be getting instruction and discipline. And by the time Matt is ready to step down, we’d have a great transition to a good young talent.

Sam Bradford, Oklahoma University's star sophomore, has had a stellar year so far. His stats are off the charts. Just look. He has a passer rating of 188, and has thrown for 3,406 yards and 38 touchdowns through only 10 games. He’s young, he’s in control of the nations third-ranked collegiate team, he shows poise, and he’s intelligent as shown by the fact he only has six interceptions. Remember that OU is in the same conference as Texas, Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, and Missouri, all who are ranked in the top 25.

The Seahawks should not play for a draft pick. However should they continue to falter, it’s nice to dream.

This is probobly my favorite piece so far, however now that the Seahawks lost at home against the Cardinals the season is finished. We got our recieving core back, we got Hasselbeck back, but we failed to win the seven straight needed by losing on Sunday. The happiness and normality surrounding a great football team died a little this week, however the dream of Sam Bradford in a Seahawks uniform became a little more of a reality.

Mathmatically the Hawks are not out yet, although with only 6 games left and behind Arizona by 5, all hope rests on the Cardinals to suddenly fall from the sky. So barring a miracle in Seattle, the final games of the season are a mere formality.

The Hawks need to play for a win every week, and even though a win takes away from the chance at Bradford, I would rather see a team that respects itself and that can respect its fans.

Seahawks down, but not out

After a 20-10 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers many porch light fans are screaming bloody murder, however all is not lost in Seattle. Going into the game many predicted the season was resting on the hands of the outcome. I disagree. Senaca Wallace started in place of injured Matt Hasselbeck, and Deion Branch was out due to a calf injury. Any person who can call himself (or herself) a die-hard fan, knows that the hawks have been decimated this year at the receiving core position. Seattle has started a record nine different receivers this year, and has gone so far as to sign former number one pick Koren Robinson. The reception leader so far has been tight end John Carlson, a second round draft choice out of the University of Notre Dame. Meanwhile the defense is letting up an average of 27 points per game. The same defense many believed would be one of the best in the NFL, if not the best in the NFC.

The defense is not at fault, nor is the offense. The offense can’t score, or even keep the ball, due mainly to injuries and lack of repetition. What team would you expect to score with a third string followed by a second string QB throwing to backup WR’s that have no professional experience? This gives opposing teams a time of possession advantage. That advantage turns into more points scored by opposing offenses, and more time spent on the field by Hawks defenders.

Its easy to say that the Seahawks are off to a 1-5 start. Its also easy to say that what most people believed to be a top ranked defense is allowing 27 points per game. But whats most important, is that its easy to remember that the NFC west is weak. The Seattle Seahawks still have 2 games against the NFC west leading Arizona Cardinals. Matt Hasselbeck will return. The receiving core will only get better with experience, and the return of veterans will improve the offense. The defense will stop opposing teams from scoring once the offense is healthy, and Qwest Field will remain the loudest stadium in professional football.

Seattle is definitely down, but don’t count the hawks out yet. Every year a team finds its legs in the second half of the year. This year it will be the five time defending NFC west champions. Coach Mike Holmgren will not go out without a fight, and he will not let the 12th man down.

Confidence gains translate to stock market

Stocks today rose more than 900 points after investor confidence was boosted by Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc's $9 billion investment in Morgan Stanley. Morgan Stanley soared 87 percent as a result. Also a government plan to buy stakes in banks and a Federal Reserve-led push to flood the global financial system with dollars helped fuel the largest single day advance in more than 70 years. A 2.3 trillion dollar plan that dwarfs the U.S. bailout plan helped investor confidence as well.

According to Bruce McCain of http://www.bloomberg.com/ and an investment strategist at Key Private Bank in Cleveland, "The worst of the immediate danger is past, it's always easier when you've got markets going up and you're not having to talk clients back in off the ledge.'' On the flip side however gas prices rose as oil demand was expected to increase, and the dollar fell more today than it has in three weeks against the euro.

Today's gains not only restored a shaken vibration on Wall Street, but also restored a piece of mind in the average American, reassuring that a system is in place that has been successful, and will continue to be successful. We have a long road to recovery ahead, but the hole is not as deep as it was before. Progress is the key.

...and that has been Established.

Red River Rivalry

A back and forth contest, the loser knowing their hopes for a birth in the BCS Championship were all but gone. Grit, determination, heart. The Cotton Bowl. #1 vs. #5. A classic state rivalry, and we couldnt of asked for a better game. Except the referee's forgot to show up. Oklahoma's first touchdown was short and should have been fourth and a foot. Two seperate roughing the passer calls, both of which were blantantly obvious acting jobs by Colt McCoy and would never have been called if the plays had happened on OU's sidelines. To top it off an overturned interception in the endzone that gave Texas a lead instead of being down and on defense late in the third quarter turned the tides. Then came Sooner punter Mike Knall's academy award winning presentation of "Whatever you can do, I can do better". A punt that would have given Texas the ball with the lead was overturned by another blown referee call. Then a fumble by Texas in the fourth quarter that would of given the ball to Oklahoma with a five point lead. Instead, Texas marches down the field and gets a touchdown. When its all said and done, the Horns take the win 45-35. Action needs to be taken to restore confidence in the Big 12's officiating staff. However in a game this important, its clear we will never know the true outcome. What could have been great, was a sham (e).

...and that has been Established.

Palm Springs, vacation living

Its incredible how a great desert in southern California could host such a paradise. Palm Springs is a green mecca in the center of unlivable scorching surroundings. My first visit years ago introduced me to the city. Spending a couple days exploring, you'll soon discover that the "strip" is unlike any other downtown area. Populated by mostly tourists, the shopping district is lively and entertaining 7 days a week. Restaurants are glamorous and surprisingly affordable, and entertainment is everywhere. Outside of the city are the Little San Bernardino Mountains to the north, the Santa Rosa Mountains to the south, and the San Jacinto Mountains to the west. Joshua Tree National Park is also within driving distance for a day of fun. Hiking and camping are everywhere, as is some of the best golf courses in the nation.

Not only is this a great place to visit for all these obvious reasons, but Palm Springs is a great place to live for many others. Affordable housing, a growing economy (yes I just said that), and 354 days of sun on average greet those who call the area home. World class theatres and shopping centers, its hard to see why anyone would leave. Some say it gets too hot. (The temperature can reach and stay 115 degrees for several months during the summer.) However the way I see it, any other city has its cold spells that you need to stay inside for, here you have a warm spell that is easily cured by a/c that is found everywhere. Plus, whats not to like about an average temperature of 70 degrees in December? Palm Springs has my vote, and I will be calling it home come this January.

...and that has been Established.

Lessons from the 1929 stock market crash

In October 1929 shares on Wall Street fell sharply following a speculative boom during the "Roaring Twenties". In two days the Dow Jones industrial average fell by 25% (ending on Black Tuesday, 29 October). The volume of stocks traded set a record that was not broken for 40 years. When it finally reached its record low in July 1932, the Dow Jones had fallen 89%, and it did not recover to 1929 levels until 1954.

Debates continue over the causes of the Wall Street crash. With stocks rising four-fold over the previous decade, it had all the characteristics of a bubble, with stocks in new technologies like radio leading the way up. Speculation among stocks was intense in 1929 with lax regulation and few rules on insider trading, dealers were also able to "ramp up" shares, and holding companies built up positions in other companies without putting up any equity of their own. Individuals were also able to buy stocks on "margin" by borrowing the money against their other share holdings. Finally, political considerations - including Congress passing a highly protectionist tariff bill - also spooked the market. The central bank, the US Federal Reserve, had also held interest rates unusually low for several years in order to aid the UK Sterling, which had returned to the gold standard.

The Wall Street crash corresponded to a sharp decline in US economic output, which eventually spread around the world. The US economy shrank by a third, and unemployment reached 25%, with many more workers on short hours. In addition, the US banking system had seized up completely, and the first act of the new Roosevelt administration when it came to power was to close all banks for two weeks while Federal inspectors examined their books. With no unemployment benefits or government help, the sharp fall in workers' income had a big effect on consumption and lead to a negative spiral of more factory closures. Most observers believe that economic policy-makers made the economic downturn worse by adopting tight money policy and balanced budgets as the crisis worsened. International trade also shrank as the US went off the gold standard and erected high tariff barriers to prevent foreign imports.

Initially the authorities tried to rebuild confidence in markets by making reassuring speeches, with President Herbert Hoover telling Americans that the US economy was fundamentally sound. Only a shake-out of workers from industry would ultimately restore prosperity, it was argued. The crash caused serious privation for millions. Private charity was relied on to help the victims of the slowdown. Everything changed after Franklin D Roosevelt was elected president in 1932, and the US government intervened to provide unemployment relief, to stabilise markets by restricting production, to encourage unions, and to create a government system of old age pensions and unemployment insurance known as social security. However, the Roosevelt administration had less success in reviving economic growth and business confidence remained weak.

The Great Depression lingered on despite the variety of New Deal measures that attempted to alleviate the suffering of individuals by providing government jobs, welfare relief or mortgage protection. It was only the onset of World War II, when the US government finally embraced Keynesian-style deficit spending on a large scale, that the economy recovered.
US economic output doubled during the war, and unemployment vanished as women and blacks were pulled into the workforce to replace the millions drafted into the military.
At its peak, the US government was borrowing half the money needed to finance the war, while half was raised by taxes.

There are three main lessons which policy makers are applying to the current crisis.
The first is that financial markets, banks, and the real economy are interlinked, so that unresolved problems in one sector can spread to others. The second is that active and rapid government intervention to ease pressures on the economy is essential during times of real economic crisis. The slow and probably wrong-headed response of the US government and central banks in the 1930s made the downturn more severe. Lastly, there is the danger of a policy vacuum during the inter-regnum. In 1933 the US banking crisis grew much worse during the five months between the election of a new president and his taking office.
That may explain why both candidates endorsed the Bush administration's rescue plan despite some misgivings.

...and that has been Established

Clean tech gains momentum

So Yesterday I wrote about how I think the government should go about fixing this hole we're in. This great new idea called Clean Tech. The next generation, it is now being called possibly the best thing for business and the economy since computers. Computers! Yeah, well you heard it here first, but today Barack Obama said "Clean Tech could be as big of a growth engine as computers were during the past few decades."

So yesterday I asked how the government was going to make this happen appropriately? While that question has yet to be answered, and probobly wont be answered for months to come, its great to see some progress being made.

Now, you have to ask yourself, who would be a better president with regards to Clean Tech. Not only setting the stage for the growth of an industry, but also placing the right resources into the correct alternative energy sources. I'd say democrats would spend more money on this "future" right now and in the long run, while republicans would be a little more patient, researching the American publics desire for specific resources to fund. Its a toss up. But you heard it here first.

And that has been Established.