The New #3

[RiverDog]

It seems like we've issued jersey #3 to a backup cornerback:

Seattle Seahawks CB Artie Burns will wear number 3. #Seahawks

https://twitter.com/nfl_jersey_num/stat ... 0174665728?

So what's your take? Are you outraged? Do you think that we're poking Russell in the eye by re-issuing his #3 jersey just a little over one year after his departure? Or is it a big nothingburger?

Here's one take:

Seahawks officially have crossed the line with Russell Wilson disrespect

https://predominantlyorange.com/posts/s ... disrespect

My take is that we probably should have waited at least a couple more seasons for some of the bad blood to be diluted, but I don't think that there's a snowball's chance in the lower reaches that we'd ever retire the number. Although ROH is a slam dunk, the threshold for retiring a number seems to be set at HOF, which at this point in Russell's career, looks like a pipe dream. I come down more on the nothingburger side than I do the disrespect side.

Too bad our friend Hawktawk isn't on board anymore. It would be entertaining to hear what he had to say.

[NorthHawk]

Meh. I don't really care either way. He's still active on another team so I don't have an issue.
Had he retired then I might think a little differently.

[tarlhawk]

I don't see any intended significance. They could have given him a duplicated number...I only would see it as an intended "slight" if it had been given to a QB. Off season news cycle is dry so there will be some pundits who will try to make the average fan "read into it". It means nothing and has no bearing on its future consideration of being a "retired" number.

[c_hawkbob]

I'm disappointed, Pete's better than that. But it's not something I care enough about to expound further upon.

[RiverDog]

I'm disappointed, Pete's better than that. But it's not something I care enough about to expound further upon.

Yeah, that's kinda where I'm at. There's definitely no love lost between Pete and Russell, and this is just one more example. It's unfortunate as the two of them combined have given us the best era of Seahawk football in franchise history. But unlike others, I'm not choosing sides, especially considering that we're on the outside looking in and are not privy to all the details.

But it sure has caused a ruckus with a number of other folks, as the article I linked demonstrates.

[Aseahawkfan]

I don't care that much. I know who Russ is and what he did in Seattle. Someone wearing number 3 don't mean they are number 3.

[govandals]

I read his options were 3, 43 or 48. Burns probably figured 3 looks better on a CB than the other two. Someone else wearing Wilson's number means nothing to me.

[obiken]

I don't care that much. I know who Russ is and what he did in Seattle. Someone wearing number 3 don't mean they are number 3.

I do! Its Chump, no matter what you think of Russ, he was still the best QB we ever had, and steered us to two SB's and a win. I know you still hate him Son of Hawk Talk! lol

[Aseahawkfan]

I do! Its Chump, no matter what you think of Russ, he was still the best QB we ever had, and steered us to two SB's and a win. I know you still hate him Son of Hawk Talk! lol

Hahaha. It is a little chump. Pete probably a bit like a hurt father. He raised up Russ in the NFL, gave him his shot, believed in him, and worked to build the team around them. Then his "son" decided to question the father. Probably hurt Pete a bit.I can understand Pete feeling a little vengeful. I think those two will make up at some point.

[RiverDog]

Hahaha. It is a little chump. Pete probably a bit like a hurt father. He raised up Russ in the NFL, gave him his shot, believed in him, and worked to build the team around them. Then his "son" decided to question the father. Probably hurt Pete a bit.I can understand Pete feeling a little vengeful. I think those two will make up at some point.

That's a viable possibility. As long as he's been coaching, Pete's never coached a franchise-type quarterback before. Can you imagine what might happen if he had pricks like Aaron Rodgers or Tom Brady playing for him? Russell's a choir boy compared to those jerks. The sport has devolved to the point where the franchise quarterback has more power than the head coach, and Pete is an old school coach who's not used to having his authority challenged or having to share his power with a player.

[MackStrongIsMyHero]

Did he let Witherspoon choose or did he assign him that number? If he let him choose, I don't see why Pete should protect any former players' numbers.

On the flip side, Pete also said Witherspoon reminded him of Troy Polamalu. I would guess Polamalu is someone Carroll holds in high regard since he's a former Trojan DB who he recruited and was a star under Carroll that went on to a storied career in the NFL with a HOF induction. So, could this be a "Hey Russ. Gave my next Hall of Famer your number." Witherspoon has a long way to go for that consideration though.

[Agent 86]

I take it as this. "We" have moved on. The trade parts are all done from the trade, Russ in in Denver now for over a year, a full season has passed. I think it has a bit of significance in that regard, it just marks that Russ is gone and no reason not to dole out #3 to someone else now to show there is nothing left here, but the memories he provided.

So mostly nothingburger, but I think it has a hint of significance, but not in any type of bitter way.

[Oly]

Damn near every number was already taken: https://www.seahawks.com/team/players-roster/

Sure, he could have just been offered the two in the 40s, but the next camp bodies may have been forced to take #3 eventually. Unofficially retiring numbers to honor players can make things complicated. But if you're going to do that, I think a one-year embargo is enough. I also think that having the number in a different position group makes it easier, even more so on the other side of the ball. If they gave #3 to a rookie UDFA QB or #24 to a rookie UDFA RB, I would probably say "really, rook?" but I certainly wouldn't have a problem with the Hawks allowing it to happen.

[RiverDog]

Damn near every number was already taken: https://www.seahawks.com/team/players-roster/

Sure, he could have just been offered the two in the 40s, but the next camp bodies may have been forced to take #3 eventually. Unofficially retiring numbers to honor players can make things complicated. But if you're going to do that, I think a one-year embargo is enough. I also think that having the number in a different position group makes it easier, even more so on the other side of the ball. If they gave #3 to a rookie UDFA QB or #24 to a rookie UDFA RB, I would probably say "really, rook?" but I certainly wouldn't have a problem with the Hawks allowing it to happen.

Of course, we're not talking about just any number, and it's not just about Russell. Tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of fans have bought #3 Seahawk jerseys that they're now going to get teased about honoring Artie Burns if they still want to wear it as many will. As long as the Hawks had other options, the best move would have been to wait a few more years before re-issuing that number.

And as long as we're on the subject of jerseys, this is one of the reasons why I never have and never will buy a jersey with another player's name/number on it. They can't trade #12 River Dog and make my jersey the butt of everybody's joke.

[NorthHawk]

Now they will buy other jerseys, like 12 or another player and retire their Wilson 3 to their own makeshift shrine.
It's a good business decision... (only half joking)

[RiverDog]

Now they will buy other jerseys, like 12 or another player and retire their Wilson 3 to their own makeshift shrine.
It's a good business decision... (only half joking)

Yeah, I have a friend who had a #3 Wilson jersey, and he asked me if I thought it would be OK to wear it to the Detroit road game last year, and I told him sure, so long as he didn't mind getting teased by the Lions fans, which he did. Our next game we went to, at home against the Raiders and following my advice, he bought a #12 jersey.

There are other pitfalls besides trades that can cause one to have to get teased about a jersey with another player's name/number on it. I had a friend who owned a #31 Kam Chancellor jersey, but when Chancellor held out, he got pissed at him and had to buy another jersey. And Lord help you if you're unlucky enough to have bought a Deshaun Watson jersey just prior to his massage parlor scandal.

Which brings up a story that Mack may remember. Back in 2013, I attended the Seahawks-Texans game in Houston, the one where Richard Sherman turned the tide of the game with a pick 6, losing a shoe in the process. The Texans QB, #6 Matt Schaub, had thrown a couple other pick 6's in the 2-3 games before our contest. After the game, a Texans fan saw a fellow Texans fan wearing Schaub's #6, so he offered him $100 for it. The fan took off the jersey and collected the 100 bucks. The recipient fan promptly dropped the jersey on the ground, poured some lighter fluid on it, and set it ablaze.

[MackStrongIsMyHero]

Yeah, I have a friend who had a #3 Wilson jersey, and he asked me if I thought it would be OK to wear it to the Detroit road game last year, and I told him sure, so long as he didn't mind getting teased by the Lions fans, which he did. Our next game we went to, at home against the Raiders and following my advice, he bought a #12 jersey.

There are other pitfalls besides trades that can cause one to have to get teased about a jersey with another player's name/number on it. I had a friend who owned a #31 Kam Chancellor jersey, but when Chancellor held out, he got pissed at him and had to buy another jersey. And Lord help you if you're unlucky enough to have bought a Deshaun Watson jersey just prior to his massage parlor scandal.

Which brings up a story that Mack may remember. Back in 2013, I attended the Seahawks-Texans game in Houston, the one where Richard Sherman turned the tide of the game with a pick 6, losing a shoe in the process. The Texans QB, #6 Matt Schaub, had thrown a couple other pick 6's in the 2-3 games before our contest. After the game, a Texans fan saw a fellow Texans fan wearing Schaub's #6, so he offered him $100 for it. The fan took off the jersey and collected the 100 bucks. The recipient fan promptly dropped the jersey on the ground, poured some lighter fluid on it, and set it ablaze.

Unfortunately, I don’t remember a lot of that game; I had way too much fun at the pregame tail gate. I do remember the local news that evening showing multiple instances of Schaub jerseys getting torched in the parking lot. I don’t think we’ll
see Wilson jerseys getting burned, but you never know where your players will end up or what they’ll do. I only have an Alexander and a Tatupu jersey. Hated the way they both went out, especially Tatupu. I thought he’d be a core guy for years.

[c_hawkbob]

There ain't no burn at all to wearing a jersey of a player no longer with the team. That's a pretty silly perception. Does go a long way toward explaining your aversion to player jerseys though Riv.

[RiverDog]

There ain't no burn at all to wearing a jersey of a player no longer with the team. That's a pretty silly perception. Does go a long way toward explaining your aversion to player jerseys though Riv.

That's your opinion, but it's not shared by everyone.

If I were amiable to wearing a player's name/number, I may not want to put up with all the taunts and insults that would accompany the wearing of a controversial player's jersey no longer with the team, such as "I wouldn't use that dirty rag to wipe my arse with!" Wear a Russell Wilson jersey to a Seahawks home game and depending on how big you are, you can expect to hear crap like that.

I have a friend, the last boss I worked for before retiring and who is a WSU grad, once wore his Chargers Ryan Leaf jersey to our fantasy football draft. I asked him if he bought it at the prison gift shop. He said that he never wears it in public and keeps it only to get a laugh out of friends.

[tarlhawk]

There ain't no burn at all to wearing a jersey of a player no longer with the team. That's a pretty silly perception. Does go a long way toward explaining your aversion to player jerseys though Riv.

My wife loved getting me player jerseys...and many of them were "short lived" like Clowney and Grahm and Penny...and although Sherman and Chancellor and Baldwin have retired I enjoy their jerseys as well. Three each of RW and Tyler Lockett identify my favorite players (old and current).

As for Artie Burns having #3...doesn't mean he'll keep it once season starts as all cut players leaving become eligible numbers for surviving players to switch to. If he does keep it and stays then its hardly an issue within the team. DJ Dallas sports #31 (also Spoons college number)...McIntosh has #25...Drew Lock decided to take #2 out of respect for RW although he entered the NFL as #3 for Denver. Jersey numbers have meaning for some players who arrive as free agents but rookies seem content to have a "conventional" number associated with their position group. Another player sporting an un-retired jersey number shouldn't be a "big deal" worthy of disrespect.

[c_hawkbob]

Yeah, I still wear Kearney, Graham, Tatupu, Alexander, Wilson, Sherman, Lynch and a really old #12 c_hawkbob with pride. They're generally high quality shirts (even the off brand copies) that last quite a while. So much so that I quit buying silkscreened ones because the number and logo's would wear off before the shirt wore out.

[c_hawkbob]

I just realized I don't have anyone on the current team (Other than a "D-F'n K" tee shirt). guess I'll have to get me a old logo Wagner 54 when they release the throwbacks.

[RiverDog]

I will have to confess to the fact that I have two tee shirts of Seahawk players. One is of a little known fullback by the name of Owen Schmidt, who once got so jacked up while being introduced as a starter that he slammed his helmet into his forehead and gave himself a significant cut, covering his face in blood, so the shirt has an image of his face with the caption saying "Let's get Schmidt Faced!", a term that only a baby boomer would understand.

The other one I have is of Beast grabbing his crotch, and the caption says "I always check my balls to make sure that they're fully inflated", a poke at Tom Brady and the Deflate Gate scandal.

But I think it's pretty clear that my motivation for buying that apparel wasn't to worship an individual player.

[c_hawkbob]

Worship? Seriously?

[RiverDog]

Worship? Seriously?

Yep. As I said, my motivation for buying the apparel was NOT to worship a player as many people do.

[c_hawkbob]

Worship? Seriously?

Yep. As I said, my motivation for buying the apparel was NOT to worship a player as many people do.

LOL! Can't have people assuming you "worship" a player can we? You poor insecure thing.

If you really think people "worship" players whose jerseys they buy I have no idea what to tell you. "Worship" has nothing to do with it. I don't "worship" Led Zeppelin or Scooby Doo or Adidas or any of the other things depicted on shirts I wear. "Like" is a much more realistic word.

[RiverDog]

Worship? Seriously?

Yep. As I said, my motivation for buying the apparel was NOT to worship a player as many people do.

LOL! Can't have people assuming you "worship" a player can we? You poor insecure thing.

If you really think people "worship" players whose jerseys they buy I have no idea what to tell you. "Worship" has nothing to do with it. I don't "worship" Led Zeppelin or Scooby Doo or Adidas or any of the other things depicted on shirts I wear. "Like" is a much more realistic word.

It's all a matter of opinion, my friend. I absolutely do get the feeling that some people 'worship' another human being, including professional athletes, as if they were some sort of deity. If you don't get that same sensation, then that's perfectly understandable. It doesn't mean that either one of us is right or wrong, simply that we have different POV's.

[Old but Slow]

I can understand you, River, but to me it is just respect. I proudly wear my #38 Mack Strong jersey, and have no real attachment to it.

On the other hand, I do not wear anything with advertising on it, only just putting up with logo stuff like Nike's swoosh, or one of those little penguins.

[Aseahawkfan]

Now I'm picturing c-bob with candles around his jersey and a picture of the player with a small container of holy Seahawk water he dips his fingers in and dabs his forehead before he puts on his jersey.

[c_hawkbob]

Now I'm picturing c-bob with candles around his jersey and a picture of the player with a small container of holy Seahawk water he dips his fingers in and dabs his forehead before he puts on his jersey.

LOL! You should see my Scooby Doo ceremony!

[tarlhawk]

I have around twenty Seahawk NFL jerseys (everyone of them a gift) including a 12th man...is that team "worship" or are jerseys when worn just an easy way to spot an NFL fan of a team you support?...a unifying assumption based on knowing the "cost" of actual NFL jerseys. I appreciate my wife's gifts! Go Hawks

[RiverDog]

I have around twenty Seahawk NFL jerseys (everyone of them a gift) including a 12th man...is that team "worship" or are jerseys when worn just an easy way to spot an NFL fan of a team you support?...a unifying assumption based on knowing the "cost" of actual NFL jerseys. I appreciate my wife's gifts! Go Hawks

I plead guilty to worshiping the team.

Speaking of which, I once heard what I believe to be a true story, that a long time Cleveland Browns fan who passed away and as part of his final wishes requested that members of the Browns football team be his pallbearers at his funeral so that they could let him down one last time.