I enjoy your newsletter. Find that it is usually well researched and informative. Not that I agree with everything, who does. But it is nice to find a site that is more factual and informative instead of Headline grabbing blowin smoke up your rear! So Thanks , and here's hoping you have a great Holiday season, and can take the time to enjoy it! Hawkman54
I’m happy I found your well written, honest, voluminous blog. It’s always nice to shut out worldly distractions for a few minutes each day to think about Seahawks news/opinions. Thanks for doing this.
Soooooo many comments already praising your work here, but this post feels more like a celebration than a newsletter, so I'll add to it. Thank you for providing consistent quality content about my Seahawks. I love reading your thoughts, commenting with the community you have created, and cheering on our favorite franchise together. Nothin' but love.
For the record, if Substack ever crashes or goes defunct for a day and I'm unable to post a newsletter for technical reasons, I will be posting "the article" on Twitter in a thread. This is now canon.
I have been a Seahawks fan my whole life and love this publican more than any I have read in the past. I am happy to pay because I don’t need to go anywhere to get all the info I want (the adult part of me says want but the fact is it feels more like a need.)
Topic Suggestion: The one topic I can never find is advance football education. For example: I know that 12 personnel means three tights ends which allows for either addition receivers or additional run blockers, but most forums don’t go any deeper than this. Why is it called 12 personnel? Why not run it every play if it help with running and passing? Does every team have a version of this? If not, why? I can think of a thousand topics like this that are not Seahawks specific but would improve my enjoyment of the game.
That's great to hear! All I've ever wanted is to create a place for Seahawks fans that feels a) truthful and b) unique and I hope through that we reach folks like yourself who enjoy Seaside Joe. Thank you!
As for your great story idea/topic suggestion, I feel that is out of the realm of my comfort zone and knowlege too. It's been something I've wanted to explore more deeply but at this stage, do not have the time to devote to it that I would need to devote in order to not be wasting your time with second-hand explanations of something I don't truly understand myself. Instead, I'm grateful for community members like Chuck's reply here that do a much better job than I could of breaking it down. I learn from you guys more than you learn from me, I'm sure of it.
Dec 28, 2022·edited Dec 28, 2022Liked by Seaside Joe
12 personnel is one RB, 2 TE, and 2 WRs in the set. These numbers refer to the position players. The first number is number of backs and second is number of tight ends. So in 12, 1 = 1 running back and 2 = 2 TEs. 11 is 1 RB and 1 TE (and almost always 3 receivers). 22 would be 2 RBs and 2 TEs, 13 would be one back and 3 TEs.
To expound a little further, we know the first number = backs and the second number = TEs. The leftover number subtracting from 5 (5 is what's left after 11 minus the QB and 5 down linemen) is usually your wide receiver count. 0 personnel is no backs or tight ends on the field at all, just 5 receivers. Think 3rd and 20 type situations or nearing the end of a half down by a couple of scores. 14 (one back and 4 TEs) is also called "heavy," because there are no wide receivers at all. You'll see this in 3rd and 4th down and short situations or sometimes goal line. Without the threat of pass, defenses will stack the box for this look and it usually comes down to which side gets the best initial push. Sometimes one of the tight ends will leak out to catch a pass, but it's usually a hand off or QB sneak.
Fullbacks (blocking backs) aren't used as much in the pro game as just 10 years ago, but they count as another running back in the personnel number. The I formation is commonly used with a blocking back. When you see the quarterback with two backs behind him, it makes an "I," I guess. Not the most creative name, but once you learn to spot it, you know you likely have a running play or sometimes an attempt to throw off the defense with a play-action pass.
And as why to not run a certain formation every play if it has certain benefits... well, NFL coaches and coordinators are too smart for that. On passing plays, a lot of it is looking for favorable match-ups. Let's say you are trying to avoid passing in the direction of a really good corner like Tyreek Woolen. You want to get your best receivers the ball, but safely. A big reason for all these different packages and the various receiver's routes are to get match ups you want. If you run the same set over and over, that's unlikely to happen.
Hope this helps. I feel like I've been way too wordy on here lately!
Engagement: Early on, I commented on the posts fairly often but not much any more. Why? Because there are a lot of well-informed people that can say things much better than I can. That's why I like it so much. Meanwhile, Twitter is just full of people who are not shy about showing off how dumb they are. Twitter format sucks!
Yes, I have noticed a lot of your DAILY posts are getting at least 20-30 comments now and a lot of them are high quality. I subscribed to The Athletic myself. The Hawks beat writer could only generate 10-15 comments, and the dude only write 1-2 articles a WEEK. I frankly don't even read his stuff leave alone commenting.
Community: That is exactly how I felt. A community thrives when individuals take something from it and give something back. But don't take more than what you can give!
If you really enjoy this community, please do you part and support by becoming a PAID subscriber. Thanks!
I'm grateful for your comment today, Phil, and explanation for engaging less often. That's good to know!
Frankly, I'd love to know how many people are paying $5/month for The Athletic as opposed to being on a free or $1/month trial. It seems that they are sorely lacking content, as you say, and while I support the pay-to-read subscription model because the goal of eliminating ads is admirable, The Athletic seems to have consistently been going down the wrong path.
They have. But very few other options if any. It's the sad state of quality journalism overall and our short attention span. I'm slowly weaning myself off of Twitter. It was helpful during the pandemic to keep up with the fast changing developments. But now it's time for me to get out.
OK I don’t want my nerd showing too much here but I’ve been heavily involved with the Internet since the mid 90s especially with bulleting boards/forums for technical stuff like race engine building and theory. To me the special thing about those were the true experts, who chimed in and brought insightful quality posts. They had a special knack how to talk to people both not talking down to them, but bringing the correct level of technical speak. They would always consider counter opinions if they were relevant or germane to the topic which helped brought depth and breadth to the subjects.
The reason why I subscribed was I saw this approach in the newsletter content. It was different for me to pay for content after so many years of riding the forums but now I see it’s worth every penny, and I look forward to it every day. Keep up the great work!!!
Thank you D Wade! That's a great explanation of what I certainly HOPE to bring to Seaside Joe and the community. I think because I came up through the commenter ranks (at Lookout Landing specifically, but also the IMDb horror movie message boards, both of which were BRUTAL to bad or unwelcome comments) it helped prepare me for being on this side of the comment. I grew a thick skin first, but then I tried to find out how to really talk with people in a way that treated them like human beings who I engage with in person/in real life and not just words on an internet page. Humans are on the other side of those words! And so many of us forget that. Everybody responds well to being treated with respect. Conversely if I criticize another publication or writer for example, it's usually because I find they are lacking that respect and I'd rather side with the audience out of a desire to see better content, than with the one writer.
I am always in awe of the uniquely interesting topics you touch on. Those delightfully comical inserts that show up periodically get me laughing on and off the whole day.
I think you may have hit that sweet spot that doesn’t seem to exist in the modern internet/social media era: reasonable (not extreme), admits mistakes, and allows for differing viewpoints
Thanks, Mike! I want to give some credit to meditation because learning that it's okay to stop and process your thoughts, to remove the emotional gutteral reactions that are human nature, probably did a lot for me in these last four years as far as gaining insight into the best way to communicate with people online. I have my slipups, no doubt, but far less often than Young Joe.
Kenneth, I've been a lurker since the Field Gulls days. Your work stood out even then.
Your dedication is amazing, and it has been fun to watch your work improve even more over the years. I have enjoyed your willingness to expose some of your personal life and self-improvement goals. Live long and prosper.
Thanks for un-lurking for a moment, Noodles! I'm appreciative of your words and I hope you will enjoy 30 days of the bonus content for free, I'll work hard to try and make it worth it!
I concur with others commenting. This is BY FAR the best Seahawks content around. This community is great, thanks for the hard work. I'm CERTAIN there are days that you want a break but really appreciate unruffled stream of information here.
Thanks, Bill! To be honest, I don't know how I could take a break, although days will come when I have to schedule a couple posts ahead of time. Perhaps I'll go camping or something next year. I have about 8 things I do every day and I'd just be lost if I didn't do those 8 things.
I enjoy your newsletter. Find that it is usually well researched and informative. Not that I agree with everything, who does. But it is nice to find a site that is more factual and informative instead of Headline grabbing blowin smoke up your rear! So Thanks , and here's hoping you have a great Holiday season, and can take the time to enjoy it! Hawkman54
I’m happy I found your well written, honest, voluminous blog. It’s always nice to shut out worldly distractions for a few minutes each day to think about Seahawks news/opinions. Thanks for doing this.
Soooooo many comments already praising your work here, but this post feels more like a celebration than a newsletter, so I'll add to it. Thank you for providing consistent quality content about my Seahawks. I love reading your thoughts, commenting with the community you have created, and cheering on our favorite franchise together. Nothin' but love.
Love the newsletter ,love your insight best 5 bucks a month I have ever spent love the brilliant comments from the family .
Excellent work, Joe. 5 bags of popcorn and 3 cups of soda but the cups are miniature footballs.
Sounds like a popcorn classic!
For the record, if Substack ever crashes or goes defunct for a day and I'm unable to post a newsletter for technical reasons, I will be posting "the article" on Twitter in a thread. This is now canon.
I have been a Seahawks fan my whole life and love this publican more than any I have read in the past. I am happy to pay because I don’t need to go anywhere to get all the info I want (the adult part of me says want but the fact is it feels more like a need.)
Topic Suggestion: The one topic I can never find is advance football education. For example: I know that 12 personnel means three tights ends which allows for either addition receivers or additional run blockers, but most forums don’t go any deeper than this. Why is it called 12 personnel? Why not run it every play if it help with running and passing? Does every team have a version of this? If not, why? I can think of a thousand topics like this that are not Seahawks specific but would improve my enjoyment of the game.
That's great to hear! All I've ever wanted is to create a place for Seahawks fans that feels a) truthful and b) unique and I hope through that we reach folks like yourself who enjoy Seaside Joe. Thank you!
As for your great story idea/topic suggestion, I feel that is out of the realm of my comfort zone and knowlege too. It's been something I've wanted to explore more deeply but at this stage, do not have the time to devote to it that I would need to devote in order to not be wasting your time with second-hand explanations of something I don't truly understand myself. Instead, I'm grateful for community members like Chuck's reply here that do a much better job than I could of breaking it down. I learn from you guys more than you learn from me, I'm sure of it.
12 personnel is one RB, 2 TE, and 2 WRs in the set. These numbers refer to the position players. The first number is number of backs and second is number of tight ends. So in 12, 1 = 1 running back and 2 = 2 TEs. 11 is 1 RB and 1 TE (and almost always 3 receivers). 22 would be 2 RBs and 2 TEs, 13 would be one back and 3 TEs.
To expound a little further, we know the first number = backs and the second number = TEs. The leftover number subtracting from 5 (5 is what's left after 11 minus the QB and 5 down linemen) is usually your wide receiver count. 0 personnel is no backs or tight ends on the field at all, just 5 receivers. Think 3rd and 20 type situations or nearing the end of a half down by a couple of scores. 14 (one back and 4 TEs) is also called "heavy," because there are no wide receivers at all. You'll see this in 3rd and 4th down and short situations or sometimes goal line. Without the threat of pass, defenses will stack the box for this look and it usually comes down to which side gets the best initial push. Sometimes one of the tight ends will leak out to catch a pass, but it's usually a hand off or QB sneak.
Fullbacks (blocking backs) aren't used as much in the pro game as just 10 years ago, but they count as another running back in the personnel number. The I formation is commonly used with a blocking back. When you see the quarterback with two backs behind him, it makes an "I," I guess. Not the most creative name, but once you learn to spot it, you know you likely have a running play or sometimes an attempt to throw off the defense with a play-action pass.
And as why to not run a certain formation every play if it has certain benefits... well, NFL coaches and coordinators are too smart for that. On passing plays, a lot of it is looking for favorable match-ups. Let's say you are trying to avoid passing in the direction of a really good corner like Tyreek Woolen. You want to get your best receivers the ball, but safely. A big reason for all these different packages and the various receiver's routes are to get match ups you want. If you run the same set over and over, that's unlikely to happen.
Hope this helps. I feel like I've been way too wordy on here lately!
Engagement: Early on, I commented on the posts fairly often but not much any more. Why? Because there are a lot of well-informed people that can say things much better than I can. That's why I like it so much. Meanwhile, Twitter is just full of people who are not shy about showing off how dumb they are. Twitter format sucks!
Yes, I have noticed a lot of your DAILY posts are getting at least 20-30 comments now and a lot of them are high quality. I subscribed to The Athletic myself. The Hawks beat writer could only generate 10-15 comments, and the dude only write 1-2 articles a WEEK. I frankly don't even read his stuff leave alone commenting.
Community: That is exactly how I felt. A community thrives when individuals take something from it and give something back. But don't take more than what you can give!
If you really enjoy this community, please do you part and support by becoming a PAID subscriber. Thanks!
I'm grateful for your comment today, Phil, and explanation for engaging less often. That's good to know!
Frankly, I'd love to know how many people are paying $5/month for The Athletic as opposed to being on a free or $1/month trial. It seems that they are sorely lacking content, as you say, and while I support the pay-to-read subscription model because the goal of eliminating ads is admirable, The Athletic seems to have consistently been going down the wrong path.
They have. But very few other options if any. It's the sad state of quality journalism overall and our short attention span. I'm slowly weaning myself off of Twitter. It was helpful during the pandemic to keep up with the fast changing developments. But now it's time for me to get out.
OK I don’t want my nerd showing too much here but I’ve been heavily involved with the Internet since the mid 90s especially with bulleting boards/forums for technical stuff like race engine building and theory. To me the special thing about those were the true experts, who chimed in and brought insightful quality posts. They had a special knack how to talk to people both not talking down to them, but bringing the correct level of technical speak. They would always consider counter opinions if they were relevant or germane to the topic which helped brought depth and breadth to the subjects.
The reason why I subscribed was I saw this approach in the newsletter content. It was different for me to pay for content after so many years of riding the forums but now I see it’s worth every penny, and I look forward to it every day. Keep up the great work!!!
Thank you D Wade! That's a great explanation of what I certainly HOPE to bring to Seaside Joe and the community. I think because I came up through the commenter ranks (at Lookout Landing specifically, but also the IMDb horror movie message boards, both of which were BRUTAL to bad or unwelcome comments) it helped prepare me for being on this side of the comment. I grew a thick skin first, but then I tried to find out how to really talk with people in a way that treated them like human beings who I engage with in person/in real life and not just words on an internet page. Humans are on the other side of those words! And so many of us forget that. Everybody responds well to being treated with respect. Conversely if I criticize another publication or writer for example, it's usually because I find they are lacking that respect and I'd rather side with the audience out of a desire to see better content, than with the one writer.
Piling on...thanks, Kenneth, for giving me a reason to pay for sports coverage. Your work and your attitude are both fantastic.
Thank YOU Karl!
♥️
Back at you, Jessica!
As I've said before, Best $55 I've spent in a long time.
I'm grateful, Steve!
I am always in awe of the uniquely interesting topics you touch on. Those delightfully comical inserts that show up periodically get me laughing on and off the whole day.
I hope they always inspire a couple laughs and hopefully the chuckles outweigh the cringes!
Congrats Joe!
I think you may have hit that sweet spot that doesn’t seem to exist in the modern internet/social media era: reasonable (not extreme), admits mistakes, and allows for differing viewpoints
Very unique!
Thanks, Mike! I want to give some credit to meditation because learning that it's okay to stop and process your thoughts, to remove the emotional gutteral reactions that are human nature, probably did a lot for me in these last four years as far as gaining insight into the best way to communicate with people online. I have my slipups, no doubt, but far less often than Young Joe.
Totally agree! Well said!
Kenneth, I've been a lurker since the Field Gulls days. Your work stood out even then.
Your dedication is amazing, and it has been fun to watch your work improve even more over the years. I have enjoyed your willingness to expose some of your personal life and self-improvement goals. Live long and prosper.
Thanks for un-lurking for a moment, Noodles! I'm appreciative of your words and I hope you will enjoy 30 days of the bonus content for free, I'll work hard to try and make it worth it!
I concur with others commenting. This is BY FAR the best Seahawks content around. This community is great, thanks for the hard work. I'm CERTAIN there are days that you want a break but really appreciate unruffled stream of information here.
Thanks, Bill! To be honest, I don't know how I could take a break, although days will come when I have to schedule a couple posts ahead of time. Perhaps I'll go camping or something next year. I have about 8 things I do every day and I'd just be lost if I didn't do those 8 things.