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Seaside Joe's avatar

It's my birthday today. i'm 43. Here's all I ask from you in return:

How old are you (if you care to share) and what's something we don't know about you like a fun fact?

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Mark Edwards's avatar

Hey hey! I'm 45 and a half.

And I'm afraid to say that I was responsible for the initial usage of 'Freed From Desire' as a chant at sports events, which has now become ubiquitous, especially in soccer.

Sorry about that.

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IdahoFred's avatar

Is this like a record for one thread? Plus there related comments that should have been part of this thread.

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Charlie Gage's avatar

Happy Birthday, Ken. I'm 87 years old and am a veteran of the Air Force, a retired Firee Fighter of 33 plus years, twice widowed and have two amazing daughters.

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JR Richardson's avatar

HBD, I'm 48, Was born in a hospital in Wa State that doesn't exist anymore. Metaline Falls.

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Grant Alden's avatar

But seriously, folks. Having argued that JS should fix the damn’d problem and draft Zabel or whatever IOL they believed best in R1, I’m delighted it’s turned out. For the team, and Zabel. Ever the pessimist I picked ‘em to go 12-5. They have very much exceeded expectations.

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Danno's avatar

They haven’t exceeded my expectations just yet. They need one more win. They might need 2 more for the one seed.

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Charlie Gage's avatar

They need two more wins to meet my expectations at the beginning of the season. Guess I'm an optimist.

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Danno's avatar

Indeed, I do believe you had it right!

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Stephen Pitell's avatar

I am a 74 year old semi-retired fisherman and widower, bridge player, living in Bremerton. Congratulations young man. Keep your body strong and your teeth clean.

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Danno's avatar

Awww, shucks, for all these years I’ve been keeping my teeth strong and my body clean. Now you tell me. My first good friend in Seattle was a retired fisherman from Ballard. He was a very big reason I became an ardent Seahawk fan.

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Stephen Pitell's avatar

Well, Danno, we live just a ferry ride apart. Living downtown sounds fascinating. I grew up on Queen Anne Hill and was connected to the boats down Gilman road from me. Our next door neighbor was the skipper for a fisher processor for King crab way back in the 50's and his son became a part owner in a halibut schooner. I am a troller (not trawler) and we are the "gentlemen fishermen" and we fish like most sports fishing with herring sometimes (though never for me) and artificial bait on leaders and with sharp hooks. But farmed Atlantic salmon has created a glut on the market which affects our Coho (silver) price. They give us about $1.75/pound in 2024 . When I began fishing diesel fuel was 50 cents per gallon and Coho was $1.75. That was 1976, almost 50 years later.

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Danno's avatar

Fishing is hard work. Especially in some of the weather we get. I’m a big fan of wild caught. I get my fish at Pure Food Fish in the Pike Place Market. Judging from the price I have to pay per pound, the fisherman are not getting their fair share.

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Stephen Pitell's avatar

You are correct, retail prices have gone up and fishermen have gotten near zero of that increase. Just like the farmers before us.

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IdahoFred's avatar

BEGAW!

Happy, happy, BIRTHDAY!!!! After 2482, I don't think we have done this before? Did Clark get you a present?

How old am I? Older than you but younger than Danno.

Fun Fact: next month I am going to a chili cook off. Please keep my secret, I am going to make an Asian themed, spiced chili that no one else will think of.

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Danno's avatar

You’re only as old as you feel.

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Charlie Gage's avatar

Depends on who you feel.

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Charlie Gage's avatar

Of course, if you feel someone in depends you are probably that old.

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Danno's avatar

I’ve heard that, but my niece is staying with me, so I’m going to pretend I don’t know what you mean.

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Stephen Pitell's avatar

You are only as old as your spine's suppleness.

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Danno's avatar

Get into those yoga and Pilates classes.

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Stephen Pitell's avatar

Tai Chi is really more of what I want, but I have yoga positions that will absolutely cure future headaches. Ask and I shall reveal to those in need.

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Danno's avatar

I haven’t had a headache since my divorce. ;)

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Candy Hughes's avatar

Happy birthday again this year, I'm currently a 'vintage record' ( 78 ) hold a license for both powered aircraft and sailplanes, have cheered the Seahawks since the beginning, attended same high school as Steve Largent (Putnam City), same college as Pete Carroll (University of the Pacific)

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Candy Hughes's avatar

And also love cats, have Siamese siblings as house cats and a pair of bonded feral barn cats in the hangar

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Scott M's avatar

Happy birthday brother!

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Grant Alden's avatar

66, mostly retired music critic, now bookseller. Fun fact: I saw Neil Armstrong walk on the moon in Portuguese. Spent that summer in Lisbon.

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Danno's avatar

What kind of music did you critique?

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Grant Alden's avatar

Came up during grunge, shifted to what we called alt.country. Patron critic of lost causes.

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Danno's avatar

I love music. Most genres. As long as it’s good. I go to quite a few shows here in Seattle. It’s a great music/arts town. Is your bookstore in Seattle?

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Grant Alden's avatar

Eastern Kentucky.

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Grant Alden's avatar

Oh, and happy birthday. Day after my late stepmother’s.

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West Seattle Tim's avatar

I turned 58 on Thursday, served in the Marines, own my own business and love cats.

Happy birthday to you!

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Charlie Gage's avatar

Happy Birthday and the Seahawks gave you a heart pounding Birthday present.

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Charlie Gage's avatar

Thank you for your service, Tim.

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Seaside Joe's avatar

Happy birthday!

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Don Ellis's avatar

Happy birthday!

I am 55 years old.

I am an avid world traveler. I grew up in Japan, Europe and the US. I have visited almost all of the US states and most of the European countries... I still have much of the world to see and plan to visit Peru next.

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Seaside Joe's avatar

Awesome!

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West Seattle Tim's avatar

I hiked Machu Pichu and floated down the Madre de Dios River back in 99", one of my great adventures.

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Don Ellis's avatar

I had laid out plan to visit Peru in late 2019/early 2020 and Covid struck... Ruined that.

Machu Pichu was on the list. There is also a hotel built into the side of a mountain with overhanging glass pods that allow you to fall asleep while viewing the stars above. That was also on the list. Ah well...

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Stephen Pitell's avatar

let's go. My limit is about 5,000 feet. At the level, I have to stop walking.

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Bob's avatar

I'm a 79 yr old geezer, still play drums with the same dudes every week the last 35+ yrs in a rock garage band at "Feedback Shack', and my spirit animal is the banana slug (the only critter I can out run).

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Danno's avatar

The Stones need a replacement for Charlie Watts. The new guy just doesn’t have it.

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Seaside Joe's avatar

That's awesome!

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Bob's avatar

Happy Birthday dude!

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Rusty's avatar

Happy B-day SSJ!!!

At 43, you’re still a kid. My driver’s license says I’m 67, but my wife says I’m almost 12. Almost.

For fun I carve bowls from all sizes and kinds of rocks. From soap dishes to really large bird baths.

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Danno's avatar
13hEdited

Tell your wife, “it’s never too late to have a happy childhood.” — Mark Twain

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Seaside Joe's avatar

That's really interesting! Would've never guessed bowl carving as a hobby and that's a good thing.

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Rusty's avatar

I spent 43 years flying a desk and writing research reports. I wanted to do something creative with my hands (and awesome power tools) and here I am. Stone carving is fun.

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Stephen Pitell's avatar

Rusty! I have dabbled in stone working. And stone work as backdrop for artistic driftwood. I only worked with limestone or marble. The other stuff is too hard and poisonous for me. I enjoyed taking a couple of years off of fishing to make art. Stone carving is fun!

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Rozone's avatar

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

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Danno's avatar
16hEdited

I’m a senior citizen, retired since 2013. I live in downtown Seattle and I often play catch with Robert, one of my favorite Seahawks fans. Happy Birthday!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHQkPpl7_uQ

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Charley Filipek's avatar

Danno, this helps make my day.

... gonna share this with my Family.

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Danno's avatar

He’s an awesome guy!

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Scott M's avatar

That's awesome....hooooowl!

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Seaside Joe's avatar

What a story!

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Charley Filipek's avatar

Happy 'n Healthy Birthday, KenJoe !

... am 76 years young, a school bus driver, was super shy. An Akido Sense in Seattle kept planting Confidence Seeds as i was a dufus in training for 12 years.

Sensei : "Put your right foot forward." < i'd put my left foot forward >

Sensei : "Put your Other right foot forward." < Ah, Yes, my Other right foot.>

Went to Himeji, Japan at 41 to each Conversational Englsh where i finally thought that i was an adult. Married at 48 'n We have 3 Children. Live in Ark-in-saw.

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Gavin's avatar

Happy birthday! Woo HOO!

I’m 58 years old. When I was younger, I’m at a living God in Japan. I got to meet the sumo wrestler Akebono. As a Grand Champion, he is literally listed amongst the gods of the Shinto religion. He was born Chad Rowan and is a native Hawaiian. He was a great guy.

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AJ's avatar

Bit late to this post but happy birthday. I'm 18. Would very much surprise me if I'm not your youngest subscriber.

I won't lie, I've always felt a bit out of place reading the discussions here and some of your guys references. Part of why I've never commented despite reading since 2022 (jeez. Time flies since covid). Not for my generation, lol. Sports discourse has moved to Instagram, Musk's Dungeon, etc. Nobody really cares about analysis anymore besides the true nerds. It's all just raging about fantasy points and clickbait hot takes. Which in moderation is still pretty funny but I appreciate what a change of pace this newsletter is.

Especially with the rise of AI slop "articles" from SI and ESPN and such, it feels good to support someone's hard work and passion. And seeing people being caring and civil to each other over the internet warms my jaded old heart.

Begaw, I guess? Still don't quite get it. But yall don't get 6-7 either so we're even.

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zezinhom400's avatar

Happy birthday man!! 🎉🎂

I’m 69 and a Hawks fan since the beginning

My main hobby is I still race cars, although at this point a great win for me is being older than the sum of the others on the podium 🤣

https://imgur.com/a/WD0EZOF

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Donnie's avatar

Happy birthday! I turned 44 in October and ran my first 50k earlier this year. My record before that was a 5k.

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Stephen Pitell's avatar

Thanks for sharing your outrage. We all feel it. But didn't he give up two sacks in the last game?

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Charlie Gage's avatar

The John Gruden statement, about the no sacks allowed, was made before the game.

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Sea Hawk Run!'s avatar

The Rams literally sent every kickoff to the end zone, because they knew their coverage was so bad. Myers forced returns, because we wanted the chance to stuff the returner and recover a fumble. As I recall, their returner muffed two catches and he was lucky that they bounced back into his hands.

I hope ST dooms the Rams this year.

On Zabel, he often plays great. Sometimes he makes a mistake and is quick enough to recover. Frankly, there have been some fails, but they haven’t been costly. (Yes, luck is important for guards too.) First sack on Thursday night. He was the best possible pick for the Seahawks, no question.

Frankly, I think our moderate running game is keeping him from getting votes. If K9 were having a Shaun Alexander year, Zabel would be getting more recognition.

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Charlie Gage's avatar

Rams fired their ST coordinator after the game.

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Sea Hawk Run!'s avatar

Yes, they did. 😁 I question whether that will help. Can the new ST coach teach and install a new approach overnight? Will it just be more chaos? Will blame and resentment bloom? I think it’s too little too late. Expect things to get worse before they get better.

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Danno's avatar

Zabel’s best years are sill ahead of him. His recognition is an inevitable force they will have to recon with!

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Sea Hawk Run!'s avatar

Absolutely! The OL is the number one area where the unit improves with experience.

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Charlie Gage's avatar

and continuity.

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Ray's avatar

80 years old, and learned to juggle with three stolen pool balls.

The Rams just fired their ST coordinator, and I think it's all SSJ's fault.

Interesting, is that the linked article called the "Zachward" pass / 2 point thing, Controversial, when in fact, there is absolutely no controversy. The rules were misunderstood, perhaps, but no controversy.

https://www.fieldgulls.com/seattle-seahawks-news/158279/seahawks-win-costs-rams-special-team-coordinator-chase-blackburn-fired

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John A Irvine's avatar

I just saw that for the first time in 9 years Sean Whiney Butt McVay has fired a coordinator mid-season. The special team's coach.

I seem to remember a stretch during the Superbowl years that 3 or 4 head coaches got fired after getting killed by the Hawks.

In any case it makes me smile because FTRs.

Again, happy birthday and thank you for the best newsletter available at any cost.

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Russ Deniston's avatar

Preach it, Brother!

Sigh. Hopefully word of mouth picks up some steam soon….

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Don Ellis's avatar

It's a sad day when Tyler freakin' Shough rates higher in the odds than Grey.

I am a Grey Zabel believer, as I am sure we all are. Grey Zabel will be what Steve Hutchinson should have been, IMO... A Seahawk HOF NFL Left Guard.

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Blair's avatar

SSJ,

I am an original season ticket holder74 yrs old. Never have I felt we have had a better or more cohesive team. Happy birthday to you my young scribe. I have a son your age who is now a season ticket holder and a huge fan of the Seahawks. Two things will take this team to the Super Bowl, Stout, solid, relentless, unforgiving, Defense. And a cool, calm, collected, Offense that lets Sam be the Best QB that he can be. We showed that we can win big games on Thursday, and from here on out all of are games will be Big, Hopefully they keep there wits and play smart , solid, confident football. Its never been a better time to be a Seahawk Fan

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Stephen Pitell's avatar

My brother had original season tickets in the Kingdome on about the 40 yard line but in the second level tunnel. I am 74 and my brother would have been 76.

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John A Irvine's avatar

I am a 64-year-old fellow Sagittarian (Dec. 4). Happy birthday Sir.

Fun fact let's see there was the one time I had sex with oh no wait wrong newsletter.

OK seriously my dad was in the Air Force, so I was born in France. I have a brother born in Florida one in Texas and a sister born in Colorado. Dad born in Oregon, Mom in Florida and we all call Washington home.

GO HAWKS!!

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Stephen Pitell's avatar

Good choice!

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Bob's avatar

My dream first pick in the next draft would be a Grey Zabel clone for RG (followed by a Byron Murphy clone at NT). Grey's gonna be solid for the Hawks for years...the accolades will come....I'd say a pro-bowl nod at least. A Superbowl win raises all ships...may help shine a light on his rookie season...sooo...get'r done right?

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Ray's avatar

I think my second round clone would be Arron Donald.

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Dale's avatar

Somebody get this article to the judges! Damn!

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Danno's avatar
16hEdited

Yes, I did see Zabel on K9’s screen play/run. I also saw Sundell working very hard to get down field and help out. Also visible from the all-22 were Josh Jones and Bradford loafing 25 to 30 yards back, making very little effort to follow the play. I get it, they don’t have the speed, but what if K9 had fumbled? The ball gets bounced around as people try and gather it? You never know when all out hustle will pay off. I don’t see Bradford starting next year. He has potential in a scheme that does not require mobility, but I feel that for Kubiak’s system to flourish in the run game, they need a more athletic RG.

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Seaside Joe's avatar

That's the thing, you can never judge when a play might stall or go side to side and suddenly you're back in it again. All Jones and AB need to do is watch DeMarcus Lawrence force a fumble against the Vikings to see that.

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Scott M's avatar

Lawrence had so many hustle plays against the rams. He's a machine when healthy.

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Danno's avatar

Big Cat never stops either.

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Stephen Pitell's avatar

Murphy has a good motor too

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Danno's avatar

I know MM is big about playing all out until “the echo of the whistle.” He’s always pointing out effort like that.

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