Seattle, WA

Richard Sherman right about what Seattle Seahawks need – kinda

Published

1 year ago

October 30, 2024

Richard Sherman right about what Seattle Seahawks need – kinda

We are eight weeks into this Seattle Seahawks season and it’s clear that they are missing something. Maybe a couple of somethings.

What happened to Seahawks’ homefield advantage at Lumen Field?

After racing out to that fast start (mostly against teams and quarterbacks not going much of anywhere this season), they have lost four of five games. And for the second time in three weeks, they find themselves in desperate need of a win to avoid going into meltdown mode.

While the Seahawks aren’t the most talented team in the league, they have enough on their roster to expect them to be competitive every week. Head coach Mike Macdonald isn’t questioning their effort level, and he said that there isn’t a problem with the scheme. But the team can’t run the ball and they can’t stop the run. So what is it?

It’s with that question in mind that Richard Sherman enters the chat.

“The Seattle Seahawks look like they need leadership on defense,” he said on his podcast this week in a moment of lucidity. “They need a veteran presence to stabilize this defense. Maybe a Pro Bowler, maybe an All-Pro linebacker who’s just played a lot of football. Just somebody that’s been there, that knows the team, that knows the city … Don’t get me started on the idiocracy that it is to watch Bobby Wagner walk away for the second time. Not the first time – second time!”

Oh well. What started as actual analysis turned out to be just a pitch for his old teammate.

Wagner was not necessarily the solution for what ails these Seahawks, but the comment does bring up one of the problems that hasn’t been discussed: they do need leadership.

That isn’t to say the team doesn’t have veterans. They do. Geno Smith and Tyler Lockett are both in their 30s and should be resources for younger players on the team. Same with Jarran Reed, Leonard Williams and others on the defensive side of the ball. But one thing those four have in common (along with every other player on the roster until the arrival of special teamer Josh Ross) is that they have never played for Mike Macdonald.

When Macdonald first arrived, we all wondered which coaches and players he would bring along with him. When he eschewed the tradition of hiring coaches from his previous locale, it came with an understandable rationale: he was looking for the best teachers rather than the ones with the most familiarity with his system.

It’s compelling logic, and proof that he isn’t beholden to the good ol’ boy culture that is too pervasive in the NFL. But maybe having someone else who “speaks his language” could have helped ease the transition and lessened the strain on the head coach himself. How much easier would it be to have others on staff with an understanding of the concepts that predate this past offseason?

While a coach with familiarity might have helped with the installation, the last few weeks make a case for Sherman’s observation that they needed more veteran leadership – though not necessarily for the reasons he may think.

Is the old Russell Wilson back? Brock Huard shares what he sees

Sherm is (as always) clouded by his dismissal from Seattle. He believes the team should have kept the entire band together forever. It’s a revisionist version of history that conveniently forgets the injuries, the decline, the salary cap, and the behavior that ultimately led to his exit and some of the others around him.

“There’s a standard set,” Sherm said of Wagner. “But people are so quick to move on. They’re quick to say, ‘Oh, the new thing’s the better thing.’ It’s not.”

Maybe he’s talking about his former teammate, but it sure sounds like he’s just talking about himself. Shocker.

And yet I do believe Macdonald would have been served to have more veteran leadership on his team, though not necessarily for the same reasons as Sherm. Just as coaches familiar with Macdonald’s system would be helpful to explain it to others in the building, so too would a player or two familiar with his culture. Sure, they could be a useful voice on the field to make sure the communication is on point, but even more importantly, they could testify as to the success of the scheme and culture. That might have been helpful at the start, but I would think it is even more important now, when things aren’t going as smoothly as possible and doubt could start to creep in.

While Wagner could certainly have provided leadership both on and off the field, he is also a direct link to the past. And with a new coach coming in trying to set his own culture, those constant reminders of the previous regime can lead to mixed messaging. Remember, this is the head coach that removed the basketball hoop from the meeting room and set about redecorating the halls to reinforce his philosophies rather than those of his predecessor.

Yes, Macdonald could have used a veteran presence. But that presence should have had familiarity with his system and culture. Someone who could translate the coaches’ words and reinforce the validity of his culture. Someone who could, for lack of a better word, proselytize his vision from a place of experience. Maybe the addition of Ross was a (small) step in that direction.

Macdonald said after Sunday’s loss to Buffalo that he would be trimming the playbook.

“I think you gotta start making some decisions on where to narrow it down. You can’t focus on everything,” he said. “So taking out the stuff that we feel like is kind of sunk costs at this point, maybe trying to trim that and then really focusing on and honing in on the stuff that we want to go excel at.”

Maybe less is more? Certainly that is the hope and it makes sense. But why is it necessary?

According to Macdonald, they haven’t “executed the things well enough and created the situations where we want to be able to get to everything. You have some things that would help schematically, but the answer at the end of the day isn’t the X’s and O’s. It’s really not.”

More: Macdonald on where Seahawks are at with schemes

While my initial read on that was to suggest that he was blaming the talent rather than the coaching, perhaps a clearer interpretation is that he needs players with more experience in the system to be able to everyone get deeper into the playbook.

Macdonald could use some help. He could use more veteran experience in the locker room and on the field. And he could use more familiarity with his system. I’m curious to see if and when that occurs.

Thanks, Sherm!

More on the Seattle Seahawks

• Seattle Seahawks appear to have a new position battle brewing
• How much is Geno Smith at fault for Seattle Seahawks’ woes?
• Huard: A troubling Seahawks stat sticks out after loss to Bills
• Check-In: Mike Macdonald’s 4-4 Seahawks hard to pin down
• Disastrous goal-line gaffes doom Seattle Seahawks in ugly loss

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Talk, walk, listen, run, play, create … 24 options for your West Seattle Wednesday!

Published

8 hours ago

February 4, 2026

Press Room

Talk, walk, listen, run, play, create … 24 options for your West Seattle Wednesday!

(Tuesday morning on Elliott Bay – photographed by Mike Burns)

Lots of possibilities for your Wednesday, mostly from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar, have numerous highlights:

WALKING FOR WELL-BEING: 10 am Wednesday walks leave from 47th/Fontanelle (so if you didn’t see this in the calendar in time, here’s a reminder for next week).

TODDLER READING TIME AT PAPER BOAT: 10:30 am at the bookstore. (4522 California SW; WSB sponsor)

PLAY AMERICAN MAH JONGG: 2-4 pm, play at the new location of Missing Piece (4707 California SW).

VR FOR TEENS’ MENTAL HEALTH: Try it out at 2:30 pm, Southwest Library (9010 35th SW).

ART WORKSHOP: Drop-in art for kids withRec ‘N The Streets at Delridge Library (5423 Delridge Way SW), 3-4:30 pm.

HOLY ROSARY FUNDRAISER AT LADY JAYE: “Eighth grade students from Holy Rosary are raising money to go to Washington DC after graduation this June. There will be a fundraiser tonight, Wednesday, February 4th, at Lady Jaye from 4 pm until close. It’s Whiskey Wednesday featuring Old Fitzgerald 7yr wheated bourbon for $8 all evening. Please make sure to mention Holy Rosary School to your server!” (4523 California SW)

DROP-IN HOMEWORK HELP: 4-7:30 pm at High Point Library (3411 SW Raymond), free drop-in help for students.

ROCK BAND GAMING AT MR. B’S MEAD CENTER: 5-10 pm, weekly event in South Delridge! (9444 Delridge Way SW)

16TH SW PARKING MEETING: As previewed here, a community discussion with city reps about possible parking restrictions on 16th SW is being hosted by South Seattle College (6000 16th SW; WSB sponsor), 5:30 pm in Cascade Hall.

FIX-IT WORKSHOP: Repair your broken item instead of throwing it out! Weekly event, free (donations appreciated), 5:30-7:30 pm at West Seattle Tool Library (4408 Delridge Way SW, northeast side of Youngstown Cultural Arts Center).

PIANO NIGHT: 6 pm, monthly piano night at Upwell Wine & Coffee (4811 California SW).

‘LET’S TALK ABOUT THE S–T WE’RE PRETENDING IS FINE’: That’s the topic as a new women’s group called The Commwell convenes, 6 pm. (5446 California SW)

POTTERINGS OPEN STUDIO: 6-8 pm, drop in and create at this cozy pottery studio. (3400 Harbor SW)

CLASSIC SF BOOK CLUB: This month’s book is “On the Beach“ by Nevil Shute. Come to Paper Boat Booksellers (4522 California SW; WSB sponsor) to talk about it, 6 pm.

WEST SEATTLE URBANISM: You’re invited to this 6 pm meetup at Great American Diner/Bar (4752 California SW).

CRIBBAGE NIGHT AT THE EAGLES: Wednesdays at 6 pm are cribbage-tournament nights, all welcome, membership not required. (4426 California SW)

KUNDALINI YOGA – NEW TIME: Now at 6 pm at Inner Alchemy Studio/Sanctuary (3618 SW Alaska). $35.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT RUN: Get moving at midweek on the weekly 6:15 pm group run with West Seattle Runner (2743 California SW; WSB sponsor) tonight – all welcome, regardless of what pace you run at!

LIVE MUSIC AT THE LOCOL: 6:30 pm. 21+. Rotating performer lineup. (7902 35th SW)

ALKI COMMUNITY CHOIR OPEN REHEARSALS: “From seasoned vocalists to shower divas,” everyone’s welcome to sing with this choir at Alki UCC (6115 SW Hinds), 7 pm.

MUSIC BINGO: Weekly music bingo at at The Good Society (California/Lander), 7 pm.

TRIVIA x 5: Five West Seattle trivia venues on our Wednesday list: at Future Primitive Beach Bar (2536 Alki SW), 7 pm, free to play … 7 pm at Admiral Pub (2306 California SW), free to play … Larry’s Tavern (3405 California SW) has Wednesday trivia at 7:30 pm … Quiz Night starts at 8 pm at Beveridge Place Pub (6413 California SW) … and at 8:30 pm, it’s trivia with Phil T at Talarico’s (4718 California SW), all ages until 10 pm.

SKYLARK OPEN MIC: West Seattle’s longest-running open mic! 7:30 pm signups for the weekly event at The Skylark. (3803 Delridge Way SW)

KARAOKE AT ADMIRAL PUB: Sing at the pub starting at 8:45 pm, after trivia. (2306 California SW)

Planning something that’s open to community participation/observation? Please send us info so we can add it to West Seattle’s only comprehensive event calendar! westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!

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Seattle, WA

Wilson Promotes Sam Steele to Lead Seattle Permitting Department » The Urbanist

Published

20 hours ago

February 4, 2026

Press Room

Wilson Promotes Sam Steele to Lead Seattle Permitting Department » The Urbanist

The Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections is getting a new director, tasked with streamlining permitting and getting housing humming along. New housing starts are trending down dramatically since 2024. (Doug Trumm)

Belman is out as SDCI director and returning to Sound Transit.

Sam Steele will be the new interim head of the Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections (SDCI), Mayor Katie Wilson revealed in an email Monday to department employees. The 26-year veteran of City of Seattle government most recently served as SDCI’s director of inspections. Steele will start as interim director on February 11.

“I’m looking forward to working with Sam and the whole SDCI team as we deliver on an affordable and vibrant Seattle that works for everyone,” Wilson said in the email.

Steele worked his way up after Seattle Parks and Recreation hired him as a carpenter in 2000, Wilson noted, pointing to his long history with the City of Seattle that included several roles at SDCI and its predecessor, DPD, as well as at Seattle Center.

“I’m honored to step into the role of interim director of SDCI,” Steele said in a statement. “This department is home to some of the most innovative and dedicated employees in the city, and it’s a privilege to support the work they do every day, from permitting safe emergency shelter to upholding minimum housing standards, streamlining permitting and construction for future light rail and assisting small businesses as they activate streets across our community. I look forward to partnering with Mayor Wilson and colleagues across the city to strengthen communication, reduce barriers, and continue improving customer satisfaction and access to our services.”

In an email to staff, Steele emphasized the department’s long history solving problems and innovating.

“This is a unique moment — one that gives us the chance to transform how we interact with customers and strengthen the relationships across divisions and the city,” Steele wrote. “Our department has a proud history of solving problems. We are one of the oldest in the city, beginning as Wharves and Bridges — hard to imagine now! Even 40 years ago, before computers were fully integrated, we managed the evolving codes and regulations that often created bottlenecks and confusion.”

Sounds like Belman is heading back to Sound Transit to become a Deputy CEO to Dow Constantine.
She’d been with ST a long time and had previously filled in as acting CEO after Peter Rogoff’s departure.
[image or embed]
— Ryan Packer (@typewriteralley.bsky.social) January 29, 2026 at 4:43 PM

SDCI Interim Director Brooke Belman announced her departure last week, but will remain on until February 10. Belman is returning to Sound Transit, where she will again serve as a Deputy CEO, this time under CEO Dow Constantine. She served as acting Sound Transit CEO in the gap between the firing of Peter Rogoff and the hiring of Julie Timm. She served as Deputy CEO before leaving to take the SDCI post.

Before Belman, SDCI had long been helmed by Nathan Torgelson, a 35-year veteran at the City of Seattle. Last March, former Mayor Bruce Harrell announced the two had mutually agreed to part ways — although Torgelson remained on though the summer.

The reasons for the leadership change were not entirely clear, but some within Harrell’s cabinet did appear to grow frustrated with perceived resistance within the department to efforts to streamline design review and the broader permitting process. Seattle has longer permit review times than many peers locally, including Tacoma: An ECONorthwest analysis found Seattle’s permit times exceeded 18 months on average for projects undergoing full design review from 2010 to 2020.

State legislation ended up forcing the department’s hand in some areas, as the SDCI effort to reform itself became bogged down in a contentious stakeholder process and ended up proposing minor tweaks rather than a wholehearted overhaul. Starting in June 2025, HB 1293 required that all design standards are “clear and objective” and sets a maximum of one public meeting per project. Previously, Seattle had often required three or more meetings, particularly in wealthy neighborhood with organized resistance to new housing.

Even then, the City had to rely on an interim ordinance to meet the state deadline, with permanent legislation still pending.

Each year, SDCI reviews and approves more than 55,000 land use and construction permits and conducts approximately 240,000 on-site and 10,000 virtual inspections, according to the Harrell administration. However, permit applications are trending downward sharply, which will be a challenge for Steele to tackle as the department’s new leader.

Averting a housing slowdown appears to be a priority for Wilson, but the task may not be easy. For his part, Steele has pledged to shift paradigms and indicated a willingness to jettison old practices that are no longer serving the city well.

“Today, I challenge each of you to break stride with past practices and help write the next chapter of the building department,” Steele wrote to employees. “Let’s leave a legacy of how we turned the corner and solved our own problems.”

Doug Trumm is publisher of The Urbanist. An Urbanist writer since 2015, he dreams of pedestrian streets, bus lanes, and a mass-timber building spree to end our housing crisis. He graduated from the Evans School of Public Policy and Governance at the University of Washington in 2019. He lives in Seattle’s Fremont neighborhood and loves to explore the city by foot and by bike.

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Seattle Seahawks’ Williams has big praise for Macdonald – Seattle Sports

Published

1 day ago

February 3, 2026

Press Room

Seattle Seahawks’ Williams has big praise for Macdonald – Seattle Sports

In March 2024, defensive tackle Leonard Williams re-signed with the Seattle Seahawks. While getting the move done was a big priority for the team, from the outside it didn’t necessarily look like the decision would be a no-brainer for Williams.

Two in-house options to be the next Seattle Seahawks OC

Following a midseason trade from the New York Giants, Williams had just 10 games under his belt with Seattle. And at the same time, the Seahawks were going through a massive transition, having just moved on from the legendary Pete Carroll and hiring Mike Macdonald to take his place in the former Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator’s first head coaching role.

Williams felt strongly enough about sticking with the Seahawks through the change, though, that he even flew back from a trip to Japan where he had planned to propose to his future wife in order to re-sign with the team.

Williams, who joined Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk for a conversation ahead of the Seahawks playing in the Super Bowl, shared that he made his decision to return to the Seahawks even though he didn’t personally know Macdonald beforehand.

“I knew of Mike. I’d never met him before, but he just had the No. 1 defense in the NFL so I clearly heard of him, watched his film, seen what type of coach he was,” Williams said. “And then also just seeing the direction of the NFL, going younger sometimes with head coaches that kind of have like new principles, new methods and things like that seems like the right way to go.”

The idea of playing for a defensive head coach appealed to Williams, and he quickly took a shine to Macdonald.

“I signed with them and met Mike. I was just really looking forward to where we were going to go,” Williams said. “… Having a defensive guy just made me like him even more. I love having a defensive head coach. They pay more attention to our side of the ball.”

What’s really impressed Williams, though, is Macdonald’s openness and desire to improve in his role.

“What I love so much about Mike is just his growth. His willingness to grow, his ability and want to just always chase ways to become better as a coach and for the organization,” Williams said. “Why I say that is because he was obviously a first-time head coach. You’ve seen that he didn’t have the experience a little bit at times his first year just in terms of speaking to the team and things of that nature. And then to start OTAs this year, he was up in front of the team, talking to the whole team and pretty much let us know that that’s an area he wanted to improve on.

“I think as a head coach, to show that type of vulnerability to the team kind of allows the rest of us to feel like we can all grow in areas and all be vulnerable with each other. And him setting that foundation as a head coach and just him growing, he’s an incredible leader.”

Hear the full Brock and Salk conversation with Seattle Seahawks defensive tackle Leonard Williams in the audio or video player in this post. Catch Brock and Salk from 6-10 a.m. weekdays live on Seattle Sports.

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