Constable Echelon: “If Kavario Middleton doesn’t show up next season looking like a man…which he has not…you know he’s looked like a guy with a lot of talent, but still kind of, maybe, doughy, and still kind of looking like a kid…if he doesn’t look like an NFL tight end next year, I’m going to be very disappointed…”

Fig Jam: “I don’t think he’d play if he did that…”

Not waiting until fall camp, Sark has seen what he was going to see, and Kavario Middleton has been dismissed from the UW football team. Middleton now joins fellow talented not-quite Craig Chambers as a fixture in future “What if he cared?” debates regarding Washington football.

First off, I’m not mad at Craig Chambers and Kavario Middleton. Kavario Middleton signed during a 4-9 season, and debuted for the disastrous 0-12 team. He signed on for a loser. Craig Chambers actually signed before we started losing, as a member of Neuheisel’s final class before he was fired for…whatever it was. Chambers was never coached by Neuheisel and instead endured Keith Gilbertson and then one year of Tyrone Willingham before leaving for a level of competition that aligned with the level of effort he was willing to put in – Montana. Chambers arrived at a directionless program, and wasn’t wired to put his head down and bust his ass in the hopes that everyone else would do the same in a complete vacuum of leadership.

The point is, you can’t make people who don’t want to work, work. It is nobody’s obligation to realize their potential, and it is to be applauded in the rare cases that people do. Fair play to both. They are both average, but by definition so are most. (Shame about that god-given ability though.)

This also got me thinking about another highly touted recruit – Anthony Boyles, and his progression from perceived malcontent to budding contributor after a position change.

This is a good breakdown of three ways a career can develop when a highly touted player doesn’t initially pan out. Under the feckless Gilby-Willingham regimes, Craig Chambers was allowed to play because he was clearly talented, and ultimately showed himself the door. Surely people took him aside and told him how good he could be, but those people changed from year to year. No programmical rudder. He had to let himself go. Noble, actually.

Kavario Middleton did Washington a favor by signing with us. He could have written his ticket for an established winner. Unfortunately before the ink was dry on his letter of intent he had just about given what he was willing to give to the program. Unlike Chambers in the era of dundering coaches, Sark took Middleton aside and explicitly told him what was expected. When Middleton proved unable to comply, he was dismissed. Terrible to lose a talent, but fantastic in terms of establishing a “We could give a shit who the internet said you were” level of accountability.

In contrast, Anthony Boyles licked his wounds, accepted that he had a better chance to crack the depth at db, and went to work to earn himself playing time. He is the type of Husky we need.

And that is how you take three quasi-related things and create a positive arc out of a negative news day. Boom.

The Seahawks team store always has had some really bizarre items in it, but this for some reason really entertains me.  That little blurb up there is on one side of the coin… if you want to see the whole thing click the link and enjoy. 

My favorite parts of the coin:

• It’s not actually a “coin” in that it has value per se.  It’s a coin in that it is an engraved circular piece of metal.  All the value comes from the slightly amateurish drawing of Coach Holmgren. 
• That resume up there pointing out that he led the Seahawks to the Super Bowl.  Um… why not just say NFC Champions?  I’m pretty sure we know what happened after the team was led.
• It’s a freaking collectible coin.  Where does this stand compared to collectible plates?  Will it go up in value?  Should I be investing in these or Obama t-shirts? 
• The page says the coin requires 4-6 weeks for “production”, which suggests these are being made to order in the Qwest Field basement.
• The action shot of Holmgren coaching, which is (naturally) one of him giving a stink face.  Clearly the team was on defense at the time.

This page has given me a good hour of enjoyment today.  COLLECTIBLE COIN FEVER!  I hope it becomes a set and the next one is of Julius Jones with a frowny face.  Or maybe a Justin Forsett coin so I can give up on it and toss it to someone else. Then they can decide they don’t want it either and then I’ll pick it back up, try and use it in a transaction, and be shocked to find out it’s nowhere as valuable as people on the internet thought. 

COIN FEVER!

No, really.  I know things are at an incredible low right now, but there really are things to be thankful for.  Here are just a few of them…

• The UW Men’s Basketball Team.  They’re not going to win the national title.  Or the conference.  And probably not the Northwest Championship.  But they’re young, talented, and although they’re raw they’re arguably the best team we’ve put on the court in a few years.  Inarguably, they’re the most fun team since Nate and B-Roy were in purple.  At the very least, it’s going to be an entertaining season.
• Along those same lines, I’m thankful that it appears to be a down year in the Pac for men’s hoops. I’m also thankful for Lute Olson’s retirement (GADDY!)
• I’m thankful that we’re getting an MLS team, and for the support the area has shown it already.  I think this is going to be the beginning of a beautiful relationship, and hopefully one that leads to more Seattle appearances for the USMNT.
• I’m thankful that the OKC Thunder have a chance at being historically bad.   No, really.  ESPN has them on pace to finish with the worst record in NBA history.  Surely karma would take care of them in the lottery, right?  Oh wait no, fuck you guys.  I’m also thankful (still) for the Aubrey McClendon margin call.  And that nba.com continues to refer to them as “SEA” in their internet code. 
• I’m thankful for the diehard Seattle sports fans.  Times like this have a way of trimming the fat from a team’s ranks.  The Seahawks and (especially) the Mariners had a shit-ton of fat on them.  The bandwagon fans will come back when times get good again; our status as a bandwagon town is something that this region is notorious for.  Fair enough.  Suffering through the bad times is part of what rooting for teams from Washington is all about.  Most of us were born into this.   Dance with the one who brung you.  If you weren’t born into this, you’re likely a masochist.  Good luck with that.
• Piggybacking on the last one, I’m thankful for alcohol.  It’s made football season go down easier.  Especially today when the Hawks and Cowboys play and I’m in a house full of Dallas fans.  PREDICTION: I will be making T.O. suicide jokes.   
• Finally, I’m thankful for the future.  The Huskies and Mariners can’t get worse, and the Seahawks still have too much talent on their roster to really fall much farther.  If everyone has to hit rock bottom, there’s kind of something oddly soothing about everyone doing it all at once.  I mean, after the initial shock, disgust, shame, and anger.  Now I’m cool with it.  It’s going to be fun to watch all these franchises turn around (um, sooner would be better than later though, eh?). 

Thankful for something?  Post in the comments.

Anyone else fired up for the new Sean William Scott, Paul Rudd, McLovin vehicle, “Role Models”?!?

Anyone?

Well maybe this will change your mind. Youtube disabled embedding of this :30 trailer, but I’m linking it to show off this fall’s hottest new accessory. Sayeth Sean William Scott:

WHAT?

Seriously I can’t stop saying it. It applies to EVERYTHING.

Trend out.