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Seahawks fans remember the heartbreakersCNNSI.com looked at a few of the transactions that made Seahawks fans shout, "Say It Ain't So." Then we opened the mailbag and let users vent on those and other dirty deals from over the years. Here is a sampling of your reactions:
As a Seahawks fan since Day 1, all of your picks bring back painfull memories, can't really argue with any of them. But I think the biggest heartbreaker was when they didn't sign Warren Moon when he came to the NFL from Canada, he wanted to play for them, they needed a QB, if I rememeber correctly, it all came down to a guaranteed contract. They offered him the same money as Houston, but they wouldn't guarantee any of the money. Moon goes on to a possibly Hall of Fame career in Houston and the Seahwaks still don't have a sure QB, so many of the future heartbreakers are a direct result of this shortsightedness.
How about the Seahawk trade of Ahman Green for Fred Vincent. Green rushed for 1,400 yards for the Packers and will be their starting RB this season. Vincent spent his whole career injured and was injured when Holmgren traded for him. He was released this spring never having played a down for the Seahawks. Mike, Little Rock, Ark.
Anthony, Miami, Fla.
Being a Seahawk fan since childhood (I'm 33), I don't recall the details from earlier teams. What will always haunt my mind, however, is the Bosworth blunder. That errant choice almost seemed to spawn a new evil in professional sports. The "Pay waaaayyyy to much for an
unproven guy" seemed to snowball. I'm sure all identify. Classic Bosworth moment: Bo Jackson, one-on-one, barrels through
a ragdoll like Bosworth for a TD.
Tony Dorsett was emphatic about not signing with Seattle, an expansion team, if they drafted him. The Seahawks should have drafted him anyway and dared him to play in Canada until the next NFL draft. What I regret, is that the Seahawks didn't draft local star (University of Washington Husky) quarterback Warren Moon. Moon was undrafted by the entire NFL and subsequently flourished in Canada before finally getting his due in the NFL.
Kenny Easley was not the most popular Seahawk. That was always Steve Largent, Curt Warner, Dave Krieg/Jim Zorn, Dr. Dan Dornick, Daryl Turner and so on. But, Easley was the favorite of all the real fans. The ones that know the difference between strong side and weak side, what a clip is, and why Ken Behring was evil. In 6th grade, we learned how to write a business letter and were told to write to anyone of our choosing. Most of the kids choose Reagan or Largent. I choose Easley. We sent off our letters and we waited. In two weeks, letters started to return. Reagan sent out brochures on the Whitehouse, Largent an autographed picture, I got nothing. In two months time everybody had recieved something but me. I was bummed. In June, three days before the school year ended, I got a big manila envelope with the Seahawk emblem. It was from Kenny Easley. In it was an autographed 8x10 saying "Best Wishes, Kenny Easley", a letter apologizing for the delay in response, a signed football card, Jacob Greene's, Joe Nash and a couple of other defensive players. I was the happiest kid. I bragged and showed. I said "Largent only sent you a picture, I got a ton more stuff then that." I still have all that stuff. It is not valuable. Becketts doesn't put a price on it and Easley was gone from the team in a year's time. In two years no one rembered him. No more jerseys, posters, no more talk about the Enforcer. No one cared that this man would return punts, when Bobby Joe Edmonds got hurt. That he was a team captain. That we was the team Union rep, in this so called union town. That team negligence had cost him his career, his health and almost his life. Nothing.
I still love Kenny Easley, as much for the letter and picture, for his fearless hitting. This town has not replaced him.
At 12 years old, I couldn't be more excited to watch the highly touted Brian Bosworth play live in the Kingdome in a nationally televised Monday Night Football game in the late '80s. The Seahawks were playing the Raiders, the most hated rival, but my hopes were high. The introductions were awesome -- the Boz was playing to the crowd with his crazy hair and tremendous energy. In one night, however, Bosworth went from one of the most anticipated players in Seattle sports history, to the butt of all jokes. I watched him run 10 yards for every 20 yards Bo Jackson ran, as he chased Jackson to the end zone on a 91-yard touchdown run. I also saw Bo walk over him like he was a minor bump in the road on his way to another touchdown. The game was a rout. I don't think I have ever been physically ill after a game, but this one sure caused nausea. And, I don't think I have ever cried after a game, but I sure felt like it.
After the embarrassment and the downright disappointment of the game, I went home and took down the stupid poster, "The Land of Boz," (a spoof on the Wizard of Oz). And, now that I think about the poster, it was quite fitting. The Boz had no heart, no courage, and quite possibly no brain.
As a Seahawks fan since 1977, it would be March 26, 2000 - the day the Kingdome was destroyed. Maybe it wasn't a roster move, and maybe the 'Dome was past its time, but it still makes absolutely no sense to build an outdoor football stadium in a marine climate like Seattle's. Oh, and that day also marked the end of any hope the city had of hosting another NCAA Final Four. Not that that's a big event ...
The one transaction that broke almost everyones hearts in the Seattle area was not a trade or draft transaction. Early in the '85 season, Curt Warner had his knee taken out by the New England Patriots, perhaps putting and end to the short early '80s power of the Seahawks.
Just two hideous words for Seattle fans ... Brian Bosworth
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Warren Moon did eventually play for the Seahawks, but not until the twilight of his career.