Seattle, WA
How Richard Sherman missed mark on Seattle Seahawks' changes
Things are changing and almost everyone understands it. The Seattle Seahawks will not be the same and we are starting to see the signs.
First, we found out that the basketball hoop had been removed from the team meeting room. No one was too surprised; that hoop was so connected to Pete Carroll that no new coach could possibly run team meetings with it looming over him. It would be like conducting practice with a giant hologram of the former head coach running around in translucent Monarchs! Everyone understands it. It would be impossible to build a new legacy with that symbol staring you in the face.
Non-story.
Former Seahawks RB sees both sides of ‘picture gate’ controversy
But then highly respected Seahawks’ defensive lineman Leonard Williams chatted with the media and relayed that it wasn’t the only change to the facility. Apparently (gasp!), a few of the pictures between the team meeting room and the indoor practice facility had been removed. I’m sure when he said it, there wasn’t a single thought in his mind that he would be starting a debate. He was explaining how important it was that the new group get the opportunity to build their own legacy and to define this new era of Seahawks football. No disrespect to the past, but they wanted to start something new without the constant comparisons to what took place more than a decade ago.
It made perfect sense. Heck, it made me wonder if this had been an impediment for the past few seasons.
But then we heard some were upset about it. At first, I assumed it was more of a straw man argument. Maybe someone in theory was bothered. Maybe you could craft an abstract argument about how this was insulting to the past generation of successful teams. But actually, honest-to-goodness bothered? No one in their right mind would actually be upset, right?
Right. No one who fits that description is upset, especially once they hear all the details. Especially after they learn that it’s just a few pictures in a single small space that will be replaced by digital options. When they are assured that the Ring of Honor and many of the monuments to the franchise’s success stories remain all over the building.
More: Seattle Seahawks GM addresses ‘picture gate’ at team HQ
But that doesn’t rule out every person. No, that doesn’t account for Richard Sherman.
Sherman weighed in on the X conversation between a fan and his former teammate Kam Chancellor, who were debating the issue. When the fan argued that this was common practice, Sherman took exception:
Yea I’m sure every great franchise is removing its legendary players pictures from their building because they can’t ever live up to that. Makes sense. Sure the Ravens don’t have pictures of Ray Lewis and that great defense. I’m sure Pittsburg doesn’t have pictures of all the great moments. I’m sure Dallas, SF, NE all remove pictures of the history of their Franchise because of a new coach. Makes sense.
Pete Hung a SB banner no other coach in the franchise history has done that. But it’s on brand.
Here are a few thoughts:
• 1. How surprising is it that Sherm didn’t know the whole story before teeing off?
Honestly, not that surprising. To be fair to Sherm, that doesn’t make him any different than most of the other national figures who opined about this last week. Rich Eisen took it as a sign that Pete Carroll wasn’t going to be around much anymore (no kidding!). Pat McAfee thought they were erasing any signs of the past, like he had seen in Indianapolis late in his own career. That wasn’t the case either.
I don’t expect national voices to understand each part of a local issue. I’ve done some national radio and it’s nearly impossible to be as informed as the locals are – you have to treetop a lot of subjects. But maybe you expected a former Seahawk to have a little more info? He does, after all, have the ability to call some of the folks he presumably still knows in that building.
If he had, he would have learned that this was just a few pictures and that plenty remain. He’d know that the Doug Baldwin jersey is still there. He’d know that the majority of what came down were signs bearing the slogans that were specific to Pete. Mike Macdonald might want his players to be “all in,” but maybe he has a different way of messaging it? I guess he never bothered to ask. Why? Because…
• 2. Richard Sherman doesn’t care about the Seahawks. At all. He’s made that clear many times in many ways. He doesn’t care about the franchise, the fans, or anyone else. What he cares about is Richard Sherman. And that is why he’s spouting off.
If he cared about the team, he’d know that a new coach needs to forge his own path. He’d listen to a respected player like Williams explain how much he relishes the opportunity to build something new. He’d think about this from the perspective of the franchise rather than simply his own. He’d think like the winner he was on the field rather than the person who’s taken a series of (alleged) L’s off of it.
But no. He doesn’t care what helps this team win more in the future. He doesn’t want the fans to experience a new era of success. That might take away from what he and his mates accomplished a DECADE ago. Much like his pal Russell Wilson (of whom he is so often so antagonistic), this is about preserving the legacy of the past rather than allowing for a successful future. And as Pete is fond of saying, it couldn’t be more obvious.
• 3. Sherman is no stranger to hypocrisy, but this is another great example of it. I just love that his post makes it sound like he respects Pete and this franchise too much to let a newcomer erase their accomplishments. It’s nice that he has come around to that – too bad he couldn’t have acted that way when he was playing for Pete.
In fact, my suggestion is that they use the new digital monitor that will hang in the space once occupied by the picture of his famous tip to show a video loop of his temper tantrum on the sidelines after he blew a coverage against Atlanta and refused to acknowledge it. Remember, he chose to blame everyone else and pushed aside his teammates when they tried to bring him back into the fold.
Or maybe they could put up a plaque for the “Kumbaya Room” and use it for other players who let their emotions get the better of them rather than selflessly thinking of what’s best for the team. Just a few options.
• 4. Like so many of Sherman’s outbursts, there is a little clue into what may really be going on, and it lives in the last line of his second post when he writes that this is “on brand.” What does he mean? For whom is it “on brand?” For the franchise? The front office? Mike Macdonald?
I doubt it. My guess is this is a reference to general manager/president of football operations John Schneider (although he obviously feels more comfortable hedging without a direct mention). If Pete was the father figure who lavished love and praise on the players of that generation, it was John who (in their eyes) was the bad guy. It was John who had to think realistically and move on from players who no longer had the same value they once did. And since it’s John who remained once Pete was gone, it’s easy to look at the one left standing and assume he’s trying to consolidate his power and erase the past. I wouldn’t be surprised if Sherm is one of many former players that feels as if they need to choose sides in the divorce.
He might be right about that. History has shown that while Sherman doesn’t always have a realistic view of his own actions (i.e. claiming that “no one knows what happened” in a verbal exchange with a reporter despite the recorded evidence that told us exactly what had occurred), he often will hint at a nuanced view of what is happening behind the scenes of the organization. He certainly gave us enough clues as to the reality of Russell Wilson’s time in Seattle. I don’t know exactly to what he is referring in this comment, but I’ll have my eyes and ears open. Maybe we’ll find out one day.
But for now, I would suggest that everyone (including Sherman and any other ex-player) upset about the changing of a few pictures take a deep breath and think about the real goal. The goal is to win championships. And if offering a new coach and new players a way to build their own style and their own legacy gets them a step closer to that goal, then support it. No one can take away the memories of the past and no one wants to stop honoring those immense accomplishments. They just want to celebrate new ones as well. And the new people in the organization deserve the opportunity to forge their own path to the top.
Without worrying about offending those looking for a reason to be offended.
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As we’re just about a week now from Seattle Mariners opening day, one of the big storylines we were following and tracking throughout all of spring training was the development and the potential for Colt Emerson to be on the opening day roster.
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As we sit here today, we still don’t know. He is the only young player who hasn’t been returned to minor league camp, so there’s still a possibility that he could end up on the major league team. And obviously that would grow if J.P. Crawford were truly hurt. It doesn’t look like that’s the case. J.P. is either gonna be ready on opening day or soon afterwards, so my guess is they would go with the Leo Rivas for a short time if they needed to before J.P. was ready to return.
If he’s not going to be your everyday shortstop, it’s really difficult for me to see how you are going to squeeze Colt Emerson onto the roster. If he had been unbelievable, if he had the same spring training that Julio Rodríguez did in 2022 where you just say you can’t keep this guy off the roster, he’s just clearly a major league player, then I guess you would find a way. You would move some people around and you might take some of at-bats away even from Cole Young and just say this kid’s too good.
Heating Up: Colt Emerson hits second HR of spring
But there are some major differences from when that happened with Julio. One of them, this team is expected to contend in a way that Julio team was not necessarily at the beginning of the year. And secondly, they just don’t have as much open space on the everyday roster.
If you wanted to throw Julio in center field that year, you could. It’s not like he was taking the job from somebody who was so good that you couldn’t move him out of there. Brendan Donovan should be playing every day. Cole Young, you want to see if he can play every single day. They have guys in their infield that they want to play every day, and I know J.P. can cause some polarization among fans, but the guy was a 3.8 bWAR player last year. He’s a pretty good player and is exactly what you want on a contending team as opposed to a young kid who has only played 40 games above the Single-A level.
I like Colt Emerson. He’s gonna play this year. I can’t wait to see him at the big league level. I don’t think it’s going to be on opening day.
This post is a transcript of the video at the top of the post. It is edited for clarity. Catch Mike Salk weekdays from 6-10 a.m. on Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk.
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Former Seattle Mariners catching prospect Harry Ford was optioned to Triple-A Rochester by the Washington Nationals on Wednesday.
Seattle Mariners announce roster for 2026 Spring Breakout game
Ford, 23, was a top prospect in the Mariners’ organization and a top-100 prospect in all of baseball for multiple years after being selected 12th overall in the first round of the 2021 MLB Draft, but his path to regular playing time in the major leagues was blocked by American League MVP runner-up Cal Raleigh.
After a stellar showing in Triple-A where he produced a .408 on-base percentage, .868 OPS and 16 homers in 97 games with Tacoma, Ford had a cup of coffee with the M’s last season when he was called up as rosters expanded to 28 players in September. Ford appeared in eight games and went 1 for 6 with an RBI, which included a walkoff sac fly against the Los Angels Angels on Sept. 11. He added a single in his only plate appearance during the playoffs.
With Ford’s future in Seattle murky due to a lack of opportunities at catcher, the Mariners sent him and minor league pitcher Isaac Lyon to the Nationals on Dec. 6 in exchange for left-handed reliever Jose A. Ferrer, who is expected to fill a high-leverage role with the M’s.
Ford was 3 for 14 with one double, two RBIs and three walks to seven strikeouts in seven games for Washington this spring. He also went 3 for 15 with one home run and two RBIs over four games while playing for Great Britain during the World Baseball Classic.
The decision to start Ford in Triple-A means the Nationals will open the season with Keibert Ruiz and Drew Millas as their catching options.
The 27-year-old Ruiz is the returning starter and a former top prospect who was acquired in a 2021 trade that sent right-hander Max Scherzer and shortstop Trea Turner to the Los Angeles Dodgers. But he missed the final three months of last season due to lingering symptoms from two concussions suffered over the span of one month. Ruiz is signed through the 2030 season with club options for 2031 and 2032.
First-year Nationals manager Blake Butera told reporters Wednesday that Ford is still very much a part of the club’s plans moving forward.
“I told Harry today when we sent him down, he’s going to be a huge part of our future,” manager Blake Butera said via NatsJournal.com’s Mark Zuckerman. “Him going to Triple-A right now has nothing to do with we don’t think highly of him anymore. No, that’s not it. And it’s not anything he did or didn’t do right or wrong.”
Ford is Washington’s third-ranked prospect and No. 71 league-wide, per MLB Pipeline.
Three more top prospects among latest Seattle Mariners spring cuts
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – MARCH 17: Philipp Grubauer #31 of the Seattle Kraken gives up a goal to Nikita Kucherov #86 of the Tampa Bay Lightning during the first period at Climate Pledge Arena on March 17, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Steph Chambers / Getty Images)
SEATTLE – The Seattle Kraken saw nearly every mistake they made on Tuesday night end up in the back of their net in a 6-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Nikita Kucherov had a hat trick and two assists for a five-point night to lead the Lightning as the league’s second-leading scorer capitalized on multiple Seattle miscues.
Three goals came directly off Kraken turnovers, and the fourth came on a bad line change, and the fifth on a power play as Philipp Grubauer was repeatedly hung out to dry in goal. Grubauer allowed five goals on 24 shots, but had practically no chance on all of them.
“Our mistakes were really catastrophic,” head coach Lane Lambert said. “Obviously, some really, really poor decisions. … We’re making some mistakes here that you can’t make. I’m not even going to say they’re uncharacteristic, because apparently they are at the moment.”
Bobby McMann scored his fourth goal in three games since being cleared to join the Kraken lineup, and Jared McCann also scored for Seattle. However, they were unable to completely erase a 3-0 Tampa lead as they were unable to extend their winning streak to three games.
The Lightning looked like a well-oiled machine for the first 21 minutes of action in building their three-goal advantage.
McCann got trapped on the wall at the Seattle blue line as Gage Goncalves checked McCann off the puck and beat Grubauer off passes from Jake Guentzel and Brayden Point for a 1-0 lead.
Late in the first period, Kucherov picked the puck off the stick of Ben Meyers in the Kraken zone and buried a tap-in goal off a give-and-go with Brandon Hagel for a 2-0 lead.
Kucherov got his second less than a minute into the second period as Seattle got caught in a bad change. A stretch pass from Darren Raddysh caught the Kraken out-numbered with Kucherov serving as the beneficiary of another tap-in goal off passes from Hagel and Anthony Cirelli for a 3-0 advantage.
“They do a good job in the neutral zone,” said McMann, who played the Lightning in the Atlantic Division with the Toronto Maple Leafs. “They make it hard to enter the zone and get possession or establish a forecheck. I think that’s probably the biggest strength of the game. And then if you’re not diligent with the puck and you turn it over, I think, they go the other way pretty good and they have the skill to make it count.”
However, it took just 10 seconds for the Kraken to answer to get back into the contest on McMann’s fourth goal in three games with Seattle. Matty Beniers made a leaping stop to keep the puck in the offensive zone and set up McMann while falling to the ice. McMann sniped a shot over Andrei Vasilevskiy’s right shoulder from the left dot to cut the lead to 3-1.
McCann added a goal just as a power play expired midway through the period to trim the Lightning lead to 3-2 at the break. After generating almost nothing on the power play, McCann led one last rush into Tampa’s zone and found his way in front of goal with the puck, lifting a shot by Vasilevskiy to make it a one-goal game.
A hooking penalty on Charle-Edouard D’Astous gave the Kraken a power play chance to tie the game shortly afterward that Seattle was unable to convert. After Grubauer made a stellar save on Brandon Hagel to keep in a one-goal game, Vasilevskiy made a big stop on a Freddy Gaudreau chance to preserve Tampa’s advantage.
A missed slashing call from Hagel on Beniers allowed Tampa to turn another ‘turnover’ into a goal as Cirelli cleaned up a loose puck in front of Grubauer for a 4-2 lead.
Vasilevskiy delivered two more big saves on Adam Larsson and Jordan Eberle to prevent the Kraken from cutting into the lead before the Lightning put the game firmly away.
Hagel added a power play goal with McMann in the box for a boarding penalty against D’Astous. Kucherov, Goncalves and Hagel combined for a great passing sequence that again left Grubauer defenseless.
“These mistakes are really costing us and Grubi had no chance on all the goals,” Lambert said.
“The penalty kill goal that they scored off the rush at the end is inexcusable. You know, we can’t give that goal up. we made a mistake, and these mistakes have to stop.”
Kucherov polished off the hat trick with an empty net goal for his 37th goal of the season as he moved in front of Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon for second in the league in points at 111, trailing only Edmonton’s Connor McDavid (115).
The Source: Information in this story came from FOX 13 Seattle reporting.
MORE KRAKEN NEWS FROM FOX 13 SEATTLE
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Bobby McMann scores twice in Seattle debut as Kraken beat Canucks 5-2
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