The Seahawks are swell. We all agree.
Feb 7th
It was all over, including the shouting.
The Seahawks’ magical 2013 season had come to its official end with a parade through more than 700,000 cheering fans and a championship celebration before 50,000 going-bonkers 12th Man fans at CenturyLink Field and 27,000 more at Safeco Field across the street. It was a sendoff befitting a Super Bowl champion, which the Seahawks became with their 43-8 victory over the Denver Broncos on Sunday night.
Before he left the stadium Wednesday, coach Pete Carroll held one more Q&A session with the media – in the same room where he had addressed them after each of the Seahawks’ 10 home games during the regular season and postseason.
Pete Carrol says never mind the past. We look to the future
But this one was different, because this season was different. For starters, it ended later than all but one of the Seahawks’ previous 37 seasons – with the exception being 2005, when the Seahawks lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super XL on Feb. 5, 2006.
So coach, are you behind already in the quest to not only defend, but extend, the Seahawks’ reign as Super Bowl champs?
“No,” Carroll said. “John (Schneider, the general manger) is all over it. So no, not at all.”
While the team was in New Jersey last week preparing for the Super Bowl, Schneider was meeting with his staff to prepare for the NFL Scouting Combine Feb. 19-25, the next big step for the May 8-10 NFL Draft; as well as the free agency period, which begins March 11.
As has been the case since Carroll and Schneider arrived in 2010, their first priority is retaining their own players who are scheduled to become free agents – a list that includes defensive lineman Michael Bennett, who led the team in sacks; and wide receiver Golden Tate, who led the team in receiving.
“We want this team together, we want to see if we can keep this team together,” Carroll said. “Every decision is difficult that we have to face. And guys that are at the end of their contracts, those are big issues for us. We love the guys; we love what they do and what they bring. And we’d like to keep it together as best we can.
“John will be faced with some really challenging discussions and things to get that done, but we’ll be very much in concert on it and what we want to get done and then we’ll go set about it one step at a time. And it’ll take us a good while, always with our eye on what’s going on with the draft and all that, and we’ll see if we put it together just right.”
PHOTO GALLERY: Players Celebrate 48
As for free agency, the Seahawks will be choosey, as they have been in the past, because they can afford to be after what Schneider and Carroll have done the past four offseasons.
“We have what we need,” Carroll said. “We just need to get back to work, when the time comes, with the right attitude and the right focus. That’s all I’m concerned about. We’ll have an opportunity to add some players to our team through the draft and all. We’ll take a good look at free agency.
“I don’t see anything that we need to add. We just need to get better.”
The players will be around Virginia Mason Athletic Center in the coming weeks and months, but the offseason program does not start until April 21.
“It seems like forever,” Carroll said. “I think we walk out of here totally arm in arm with the fact that we’re going to have a great offseason. That means that the guys have to be totally committed to having a great offseason, because they’re going to have a lot of distractions and a lot of people pulling them in different directions.”
Carroll addressed that during the final team meeting on Tuesday, when the players also cleaned out their lockers and took their exit physicals.
“Quite frankly, each guy’s got to set his plan in motion and not let the distractions get in the way of the hard work that it takes to put this thing back together again,” Carroll said.
“It’s an extraordinary opportunity, because it’s so difficult for teams to come back and play well after winning the Super Bowl. We take that challenge on now, nose to nose. We’re going to go after it and see what we can do about it.”
And Carroll doesn’t care for talk of a repeat – as no team has repeated as Super Bowl champion since the New England Patriots in 2003 and 2004, and they were the first to do it since the Broncos in 1997 and 1998. Or even the Super Bowl, for that matter. He’s all about improving each day, which allows you to improve each week, which allows you to improve each season.
“Let me say it even more specifically, it’s not about repeating to me,” he said. “That isn’t it. We’re trying to do something really good for a really long time. And we want to see how far we can go, and someday we can look back and see what we accomplished. In the middle of it, I don’t think it’s time to assess it.
PHOTO GALLERY: Fans Celebrate 48
“In this year, I never talked about the Super Bowl. I talked about trying to help these guys be the best they possibly can be.”
And in 2013, the Seahawks were the best in team in all of football.
ID thieves targeting vehicles, cops say
Feb 6th
Boulder police warn of ID theft ring operating in Boulder, metro area
Boulder police are reminding residents to lock their vehicle doors and to remember to take valuable items, such as purses and wallets, with them when leaving vehicles unattended.
The theft ring is believed to be involved in three cases in Boulder and more than 50 cases in other jurisdictions. So far, the thieves are responsible for approximately $100,000 in thefts. (Boulder police case numbers are: 14-1105, 14-1101 and 14-1475).
Investigators believe that at least two male suspects forcibly enter victim vehicles by breaking windows and then stealing purses and wallets, which were left in clearly visible areas of the cars. The suspects then deposit and cash the victim’s checks using the stolen IDs and often use wigs and other disguises when dealing with banks.
It’s believed the suspects are using newer-model SUVs when they make deposits at drive-up bank windows. Some of the vehicles used include a new, mint-green Ford Explorer with tinted windows; a white SUV and a black Infinity SUV.
Photos of suspects who appear to be females are attached and police are asking the public for help in identifying them. It’s possible that the suspects in the photos are wearing wigs or are otherwise disguised.
During the past two weeks, the suspects have trespassed vehicles and stolen IDs every single day somewhere in the Denver metro area.
Anyone with information about the crimes or the suspects is asked to call the Boulder Police Department at 303-441-3333 or to email us at BouldersMostWanted@bouldercolorado.gov. Those who have information but wish to remain anonymous may contact the Northern Colorado Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or 1-800-444-3776. Tips can also be submitted through the Crime Stoppers website at www.crimeshurt.com. Those submitting tips through Crime Stoppers that lead to the arrest and filing of charges on a suspect(s) may be eligible for a cash reward of up to $1,000 from Crime Stoppers.
— CITY–
OSMP Ranger’s weekly report
Feb 6th
Cow attack, suicidal person, mt. lion cache, injured hiker fills the rangers’ week
Rangers responded to:
• A report of an injured on the Baseline Trail. The hiker slipped on the ice, attempted to brace herself with her arms and potentially broke her right wrist. Rangers worked with both Boulder Fire and AMR on this call.
• A report of a suicidal party in the Flagstaff area. The suicidal party stated that he wanted to jump off of one of the Flatirons to his Dad who then called 911. Rangers working with BCSO to find the party at Crown Rock and helped with his arrest and transport to hospital.
mountain lions bury prey and return to it often to feed
• A report of a mtn lion cache in the area of 800 Willowbrook. Mtn lion was seen pawing the home owners sliding glass door. Rangers worked with CPW on this call.
• A report of an injured hiker on the Mesa Trail who had slipped and fell on the ice, hitting his head. Rangers worked with Boulder Fire on this call.
• A report of a vehicle fire at Cathedral Park. The fire started because of an electrical issue with the car. Rangers worked with Boulder Fire and Denver Water on this call.
• A report of a hiker getting kicked in the head by a cow at the North Teller Trailhead.
The hiker saw a cow giving birth and thought it was in distress and went over to look and help. The cow promptly kicked her, loosening some of the hiker’s teeth.
• A report of an active criminal trespass happening off of Eldorado Springs Dr. OSMP Rangers were first to respond and detained the suspect. The suspect, later identified as Senator Mark Udall’s son, had broken into three vehicles and stolen a small amount of cash. The suspect was arrested and drug paraphernalia was found to be in his possession.
• A wildfire at Buckingham Picnic area. The fire started in a logjam and heavy equipment had to be used to get to the interior of the fire. Jay Jones brought in a backhoe to help clear the debris. Rangers worked with Lefthand Fire on this call, it is unknown how this fire was started.
• A report of an injured sledder at Chautauqua, Rangers worked with AMR on this call.
