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Mediocrity is blah, and that’s what the Seahawks are

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Mediocrity is blah, and that’s what the Seahawks are


Author’s note: This is the fifteenth installment of my weekly column, Barely Relevant.

I say, blah. Blah to all of the hey, the Seattle Seahawks kept up with a 13-2 team, and blah to all of the it’s the first year of a completely new coaching staff pretension. Fine. That’s all fine. Fine and blah. We should have beaten the Vikings. Riq Woolen should have played as promising as he looked in the preseason (and his Pro Bowl rookie year), and DK Metcalf should run the route that’s been drawn up. DK had a pretty good game (3/7 for 57 yards and 1 TD), but for some reason, offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb decided to put the game in his hands when it mattered the most. You don’t do that; all the rest of us have learned. You pass it to JSN.

DK flubbed the route… as he’s done many times before. There’s a great Maya Angelou quote that’s a little weird to insert in this context, but I’m going to do it anyway: “When someone shows you who they are, believe them….” I don’t know if it applies to football, but damn if DK Metcalf, now in his sixth season, hasn’t shown us who he is time and time again.

This isn’t a DK hate post. I really like the guy, but he’s not to be trusted. It’s like one of those relationships where you love someone but have become completely aware that the relationship doesn’t have a future anymore. It’s gonna hurt. It might take some time, and maybe some Fireball once they’re gone, but slip out the back, Jack. Make a new plan, Stan. No need to be coy, Roy. Just listen to me.

But our trust issues extend beyond DK. Who do you trust on the coaching staff, and does it really end at Mike Macdonald? On the offensive side of the ball, we have several first-year NFL coaches. Do they deserve a little time to grow and develop like rookie players do? Like our new head coach does?

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Probably. But who cares? The Seahawks are headed for mediocrity again this year, and it all feels so blah. But why? This is the process. The Seahawks went 7-9 under Pete Carroll during his first season (2010) and made it to the playoffs. In Holmgren’s first season as head coach (1999), the Seahawks went 9-7 and made it to the playoffs. For Dennis Erickson’s first season (1995), we went 8-8, and Chuck Knox (1983) took us to 9-7. There’s been worse (Mora), but you get my point.

Mediocrity is basically the name of the game during a head coach’s first season. At least in Seattle. New coaches don’t get hired because a city has a banger team. Do we need to just trust the process?

The Seahawks appear to be headed for a 9-8 season, by my estimation, and whether or not the Rams pick up and continue to have steam determines our playoff fate. That’s right about in line with what everyone thought this season might look like in August, anyhow. But then something funny happened. We had streaks of greatness. Like starting off 3-0. But then we lost three in a row. But then we beat the 49ers on the road and swept Arizona. Jaxon Smith-Njigba became a top-five wide receiver, and on defense, Witherspoon, Leonard Williams, and Julian Love found their stride… and Tariq Woolen misplaced his.

I guess this ping-pong effect – back and forth – is precisely what mediocrity is: win three in a row, lose three in a row, win four in a row, etc. But it still sucks. And I think I know why. It’s because we’re from Seattle. Which, unfortunately, has been the land of professional sports mediocrity for much too long.

Pete Carroll spoiled us. During his tenure, he was the winningest coach in Seahawks history. The Seahawks had a winning record 11 of 14 seasons during his reign (not even including the 2010 playoff win) and our first Lombardi. But the thought of going back to what we once were? It’s too much to bear. Oh boy, were we were mediocre. Just look at how consistently mediocre we were prior to 2010, when Pete Carroll taught us what consistently winning actually looked like.

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And it’s not just football. Seattle happens to be the home of the Mariners, the absolute poster children of mediocrity, who have never even participated in a World Series.

Of course, the Seattle SuperSonics won it all in 1979, but they couldn’t quite do it again. But they did return to the big game in 1996 (and once before they won the trophy [1978]). The Sonics made the playoffs a LOT. Except for their last ten years, when they were pretty darn mediocre. And then they weren’t at all anymore.

Mediocrity is a curse. One we’re undeniably and decidedly headed for again this year. There are a lot of reasons why mediocrity sucks, but the biggest one is because we’re from Seattle. And we feel mediocrity a little differently up here.

It stings right now, and I’m pissed. But this is where I have to remind myself that that’s because there were so many surprising moments this season that gave me hope. And to trust the process. This moment in time – week 16 of the 2024 season – is but a blink of an eye. An eye that could still even be watching the Seahawks (mediocre or not) in the playoffs this year. And the lemon squirt in the eye of this one is that we really could’ve won it. Our mediocre butts could have beaten a 12-2 Vikings team if only we could have cleaned up a few stupid mistakes, somehow replaced Riq Woolen AND Tre Brown, and not thrown it to DK when the game was on the line.

Our new coach, Mike Macdonald, he’s a smart guy. There’s no debating that. And smart guys know how to clean that sort of stuff up. Trust the process. This is how Mike Macdonald’s tenure was supposed to begin. As familiar as it all feels, it’s not. It’s new. But still, blah.

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Seattle, WA

MLB Mock Trade: Seattle Mariners Deal Luis Castillo to Atlanta Braves

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MLB Mock Trade: Seattle Mariners Deal Luis Castillo to Atlanta Braves


The Seattle Mariners have had a busy offseason as they try to improve their roster and break through to the World Series for the first time in franchise history. Seattle has been active in free agency and on the trade market. One of their final roster questions is who will serve as the backup catcher behind Cal Raleigh. The Mariners could make one more move before the start of the season to address this need, potentially through a trade with the Atlanta Braves.

The Atlanta Braves are dealing with some serious injuries to their starting rotation this offseason. After an impressive 2025 campaign, Spencer Schwellenbach has been shut down because of bone spurs. Breakout candidate Hurston Waldrep was also shut down during Spring Training with elbow inflammation. Both pitchers underwent surgery in February, leaving two open spots in Atlanta’s rotation. Let’s break down a mock trade centered on Luis Castillo that could help fill those holes for the Braves.

Atlanta Braves – Seattle Mariners Mock Trade

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Atlanta Braves receive SP Luis Castillo 

Seattle Mariners receive C Sean Murphy, SP Owen Murphy 

In this mock trade, the Braves acquire All-Star starter Luis Castillo. In exchange, the Mariners receive former All-Star catcher Sean Murphy and a young pitching prospect in Owen Murphy.

Fantasy Baseball Outlook

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Luis Castillo would slot into the Atlanta Braves’ starting rotation behind Chris Sale and Spencer Strider. He has been very effective for the Mariners since they acquired him from the Reds at the trade deadline four seasons ago. In 2025, Castillo went 11–8 in 32 games with a 3.54 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, and 162 strikeouts. His fantasy value would likely dip if he left Seattle’s pitcher-friendly ballpark. Still, he has proven himself as a reliable, effective starter through consistent performance, and he would play a key role for Atlanta.

With the Mariners, Sean Murphy would serve as the backup catcher behind Cal Raleigh. He would likely see a drop in playing time in Seattle, but this move could also give the Mariners more opportunities to use Raleigh at DH. With the fifth spot open in the Seattle rotation, Emerson Hancock and Cooper Criswell would be viable, experienced options. Alternatively, Kade Anderson and Ryan Sloan are elite prospects who have had strong Spring Trainings and could break camp on Opening Day. The young pitching prospect Owen Murphy would also join a talented farm system and provide a future option for the rotation.

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Seattle, WA

VIDEO: Scream Club Seattle keeps growing, midway through first year

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VIDEO: Scream Club Seattle keeps growing, midway through first year


(Story originally posted 8:22 pm, updated 12:32 am)

By Torin Record-Sand
Reporting for West Seattle Blog

From a distance, they looked like a regular crowd of people enjoying a nice evening walk on the shores of Lincoln Park. But they were gathered here for a singular purpose: to scream. Since September 2025, the Scream Club Seattle has met at Lincoln Park on every third Sunday to scream, led by head organizer Amber Walcker. No explanation, justification, or invitation to scream is needed – come as you are. “There are some harder emotions people come here to deal with, sure, but some people also just come to scream.” head organizer Amber explained.

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Tonight’s crowd showed the club is rapidly growing. From around a dozen or so participants in the first gathering in September, tonight seemed to attract around 40 people gathering to let it all out.

As the sun started to set, and everyone was finally gathered together, the Scream Club was ready to begin.

There are only three screams, organizer Amber explained. The first, she said, is a scream to get used to doing it in public. The second scream is there to ground you. And the final – and longest scream – is there to let you have an emotional catharsis.

She also wanted to make sure people were taking care of their vocal health beforehand. As she told everyone to walk a little bit from the meeting place and start to gather near the shore, she instructed the crowd to hum for a few minutes on the way, to warm up the vocal cords.

With that, the crowd walked towards the shore.

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“On the count of one – two – three – scream!” said organizer Amber.

You can see our video of the proceedings here. After the screaming, we talked to a few participants about why they came out.

“There’s not one thing that’s really making me want to scream. There’s a lot of stuff going on for me, a lot of emotional ups and downs. Screaming into the ocean together gives you a sense of community.” said Jessie.

“This is my third or fourth time coming to scream. With the political climate, with everything that’s happening, getting together with local community to scream feels more productive than screaming into the internet on social media.” said Ursula.

“This is my first time coming out.” said Liz. “I screamed after the Seahawks won the Super Bowl, and I really felt something. I realized I’ve been feeling a lot of frustration recently, and it felt like coming here was a healthy way to get it out rather than screaming at your neighbors.”

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Organizer Amber recognizes much of what they were saying. “Meeting like this can be an important element to have in your mental health toolbox. It’s rare to have scream therapy.” She shared an anecdote about the therapeutic origins of the group, which originally started with a chapter in Chicago. “The founder was a life coach. Their girlfriend was having a bad day, and they encouraged them to go to the Chicago Pier and just let it out. He walked her through the process, and that was that. Eventually they invited more people to come do it.” She hopes to bring that same therapeutic energy to the practice here. “It’s a moment of emotional release more than anything else. Depending on what’s going on in people’s minds, everyone will come here with a different mindset and purpose. We’re providing a safe space to do that.”

Scream Club Seattle meets at Lincoln Park on the first Sunday of every month, and they are also starting to meet on the third Sunday of every month at Golden Gardens in Ballard. Tentatively, the next events will be in Lincoln Park on April 5th around 6 PM, and Golden Gardens on March 15th around 5 PM. If you’d like to know more, you can find them on Instagram here or look at their future events on their Eventbrite page here.





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Seattle, WA

Detectives Investigating Robbery, Shooting Over $20 Necklace – SPD Blotter

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Detectives Investigating Robbery, Shooting Over  Necklace – SPD Blotter


Seattle police detectives are investigating a robbery and shooting of a 23-year-old man over a $20 necklace in Pioneer Square this morning.

At about 12:40 a.m., patrol officers responded to a shooting in the 500 block of 2nd Avenue. There, they found a victim, bleeding, with a gunshot wound to his right thigh. Police and the Seattle Fire Department treated his injury. Medics took him to Harborview Medical Center (HMC) in stable condition.

Police determined that the victim just left a bar, getting into the passenger seat of his friend’s car, when the suspect, wearing a ski mask and armed with a firearm, approached him and demanded his necklace. They struggled over the item, and the suspect shot the victim in the leg. The shooter fled in a vehicle with the necklace before police arrived. The value of the “chain” is about $20.

Detectives in the Robbery Unit responded to the scene and HMC. Anyone with information is asked to call the SPD Violent Crimes Tip line at 206-233-5000. Anonymous tips are accepted.

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Incident Number: 2026-57536



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