Good morning 12s, and happy first day of the 2020 NFL regular season! Here's a look at what's out there today — Thursday, September 10 — about your Seattle Seahawks.
Shaquille O'Neal Featured In Russell Wilson's New 'DangerTalk' Podcast
For the past few years, Russell Wilson's 'DangerTalk' podcast has served as a medium for the quarterback to discuss all things sports, entertainment, and culture. Now, with the 2020 season just about to get started, the podcast is being produced by ESPN and has taken on a new video format, with comedian and Seattle native Jeff Dye serving as co-host.
In the first episode under the new format, Wilson and Dye discuss the start of the season and the impact of not having fans at games before welcoming their guest, basketball legend Shaquille O'Neal. 'The Big Aristotle', 'Mr. Unlimited' and 'Justin Bieber' (as Dye is apparently known to Shaq) chopped it up about a number of topics, including the toughest playoff atmospheres they've played in, the loss of sports icon Kobe Bryant at the beginning of the year, and even O'Neal's short-lived football career.
Here are some of the highlights from the entertaining conversation:
On the toughest fanbases to play against:
"The toughest place when I was young, my first year in the NFL, we had to go to Candlestick [Park], and I remember people throwing beers … all of that, man," Wilson said. "Just playing in Candlestick, it was historic. It was a place where you really felt the tradition of it."
"My answer is different," O'Neal said. "I grew up being raised by a drill sergeant, so I've heard and seen everything. When I went into an arena, all that stuff, it didn't hurt me — it actually made me laugh. And sometimes, when I wasn't in a playing mode I'd look for something to make me mad. Whenever I'd shoot a free throw, people laugh, I'd be like, 'Okay, next time I come down on this end, watch this.' I always tried to use stuff for motivation."
On O'Neal's football career:
"Football was my love," O'Neal said. "I'm actually a hell of a tight end. These hands are Odell Beckham Jr.-ish.
"When I was in high school, I played tight end. And my sophomore year, we had a play called 'Alley-oop'. You already know how it goes, goal-line play, I tell my quarterback 'Throw it up.' He throws it up, I go catch it, and then a little twerp the same size as Justin Bieber here [hits] my damn knee, I sprained my MCL. I was like, 'I'm not playing football anymore.'"
You can watch the entire episode below.
Pete Carroll Joins 'The TODAY Show' To Discuss Upcoming Season
Ahead of tonight's start to a unique and unprecedented NFL season, head coach Pete Carroll joined the TODAY Show this morning to talk about the season and the efforts the team and league are taking to keep players safe amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
On the impact of not having a preseason:
"Well, I hope we don't see sloppy football, that's not the whole design here," Carroll joked. "It's relative, so everybody's gonna be prepared relatively the same. It shouldn't make too much of a difference. I don't think it's gonna have anything to do with injuries, really our players are pretty healthy coming out of camp, and maybe this is something to help us get into the season with good health."
On measures being taken to protect players and staff:
"We're taking every precaution that we can think of," Caroll said. "It's been an offseason of just trying to figure out all of the scenarios, all of the opportunities where we could make good decisions and good choices to keep everything clean and right and proper. There's nothing that we're not working with."
Social Post Of The Day
Tyler Lockett and Quandre Diggs are joined by other NFL stars in reading "Reality vs. Perception", a poem written by Lockett himself. The powerful poem touches on the perception of Black men in America, and how that perception often exaggerates or eschews reality.
More From Around The Web
At Seahawks.com, John Boyle reports on how the team is keeping social justice efforts at the forefront even as the regular season approaches.
The Hawk Talk podcast is back as Seahawks legend Michael Bumpus and executive producer Nasser Kyobe preview the 2020 season.
Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times gives a week-by-week breakdown of the Seahawks 2020 schedule.
Also in the Seattle Times, Mike Vorel looks at how DK Metcalf can ascend to Julio Jones status this year for the Seahawks.
Brandon Gustafson of 710 ESPN with Dave Wyman’s prediction of a 13-3 record for the Seahawks this season.
