When it comes to getting their hopes up early on in the season for any Seattle sports team, many fans instead put up their defenses. That may be happening to some people in the wake of the Seahawks' perfect preseason record of 4-0.
As the Hawks gear up for the start of the regular season Sunday in Arizona, some fans are keeping the team at arms' length. KPLU sports commentator Art Thiel explains why.
Been wronged before
It's something that Art calls the Seattle sports fans' trauma.
"There's been so much disappointment here. Championships are so few and success so rare that there's a real reluctance for some in the fan base to say 'You know what, I think the Seahawks are going to be great this year.'"
Art says it's not unlike a romance that's gone south.
"We've developed this sort of hard shell. It's like if you've been jilted in a relationship, you don't want to get too close to anybody else because you'll find out that this new person has eight kids by four spouses somewhere else. So, everybody locks elbows and says 'Well, show me something and get back to me in December.'"
Ready to risk it
Art says he's willing to take a chance on the Seahawks this season.
"I'm going to shed the usual Seattle sports follower's reticence. I'm going to bend the elbow and embrace the idea that the Seahawks are a playoff team and I'm going to guess they're going to go 10 and 6."
Stellar defense
Art expects the Seahawks to shine on defense.
"They were a Top 10 defense last year. I think they're better this year. They've added a rookie pass rusher Bruce Irvin with the No. 1 pick. He's got a lot to learn but he's going to be an asset, I think, down the road."
Running game strong - if Lynch is healthy
Star running back Marshawn Lynch has been beset with back spasms. Art says the Hawks have built their offense around him, but there's also a rookie waiting in the wings.
"He's been out of preseason because of these ongoing back spasms. And if he doesn't play (Sunday), then they have a very good backup guy in rookie Robert Turbin. So there's a little side drama going on there."
Rookie quarterback a 'special guy'
A lot of fans are excited about starting quarterback Russell Wilson - despite the fact that he's one of the shortest quarterbacks to ever play professional football.
The 5'11" rookie from Wisconsin astounded the NFL world by coming from the third round in the draft this year to the role of Seahawks starter ahead of veteran free agent Matt Flynn, who was signed in the off-season and expected to be the new starting quarterback.
Art says there's a lot riding on head coach Pete Carroll's "risk taking" in putting Wilson in charge.
"He's a special guy. In terms of the intangible things like leadership, communications skills, passion, work ethic - all these things seem to really trump the fact that he's one of the shortest quarterbacks ever in the NFL. But Sunday is his first game against big, sweaty mean guys who are game planning against him and he's got to go through the rookie initiation."
You can find Art Thiel's work at Sportspress Northwest.
