HawkShack.com

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/07/01/largent-shares-details-of-decision-to-let-rice-wear-no-80/

“The Seahawks at the time had a President of the team [Bob Whitsitt] who had come from the NBA and didn’t really know a lot about football but knew a lot about professional sports and he called me saying that Jerry [Rice] wanted to wear number 80 but wanted to ask my permission,” Laregent said. “And so I mean Jerry Rice is asking to wear my number, I’m not going to say no and so I said, ‘Sure, that’s fine with me.’ What [Whitsitt] did was he called Jerry Rice and said, ‘Hey, Steve Largent wants you to wear his jersey when you get to Seattle.’ So Jerry said, ‘Well that’s fine, I’ll wear number 80, I thought it was retired but if Steve wants me to wear it, I’ll wear it.’

“So [Whitsitt] did a little double whammy on both Jerry and myself to ensure that Jerry Rice gets number 80 and [Whitsitt] can sell a bunch of number 80 jerseys or something but it was kind of a scam on both myself and Jerry Rice.”

I remember getting into it with many of you guys about this incident, myself I was calling it one of the blackest days in Seahawks history, while ALL of you guys were saying that, "it wasn't a big deal, because Largent said he could."

Truth is, Largent was put into a situation of looking bad if he didn't (HE NEVER EVER SHOULD HAVE BEEN ASKED TO BEGIN WITH!!! Not one other NFL team EVER has done something that self loathing) and Rice was lied to.

Anyone still want to tell me that it wasn't a big deal? Anyone want to tell me that un-retiring 71 to let someone wear it, because Jones said he could, would be no big deal?

It was a big deal! It was evidence of a team with an incredibly low self esteem, one which had been making decades of stupid decisions, and had never learned from them. It was evidence of a team that had spent decades wallowing in dysfunction, and which had never learned how to be a winner, or a first class organization.

Fortunately, that is no longer the case with our beloved Seahawks, they ARE the world champs, and HAVE figured out how to be winners, and have a first class organization...but it took a new coaching staff, one with a lot of power to do things THEIR way, and an incredible amount of turnover from the previous regimes roster, to finally exorcise the spirit of failure which had become so attached to the Seahawks, and which the whole Rice wearing a RETIRED #80 jersey was so indicative of.

Are you really bringing up a dust up from the P-I Forum??? I also don't remember it being you against everybody else it was about 50/50. It would have been 100% against if the true story would have came out at the time, especially because Whitless was universally hated in the Forum. Most of us hated it but felt that if it was "ok" with Largent then we would "hold our nose" and suck it up. Obviously it was a mistake to even sign Rice and I think that too was Whitless forcing a player on Mike Holmgren. Yeah, I am happy our guys finally hoisted the trophy but we would have hoisted a decade earlier if Paul Allen would have kept his word to Holmgren that he would have the final say on the roster. Instead PA foisted Whitless on Holmgren so a power struggle ensued. MH lost the power struggle and was stripped out his GM and was told to just coach, then PA foisted Tim Ruskell on Holmgren and we all know how that ended up. Anyway, Paul Allen finally figured it out and got it right and here we are World Champions, no reason to bring up B.S. from the past unless PA is talking about unretiring the #12...

I don't see this as a vindication of your position necessarily Monkey. The argument back then was that Rice went to Largent and pressured him to wear his jersey number and Largent relented reluctantly.

Well clearly that's not the case. Both Largent and Rice were told different stories and manipulated into Rice wearing the Jersey. Rice did nothing wrong and neither did Largent. I also don't think Largent was put in any position to look like the jerk. He could have said no to Whitsett and this never would have been a story. Rice would have worn a different number and no one would have been the wiser. What was Whitsett going to do, attempt to burn down the reputation of the most beloved Seahawk in franchise history over a Jersey number? Wasn't happening.

At the end of the day Largent gave permission... and I doubt he would have given permission if even if it was another hall of famer level guy like Cris Carter, Rice is probably the only guy that he would have done it for. I still don't see the big deal other than Whitsett's double talk. But then we all knew that Whitsett was not a good guy from his days with the Sonics.

monkey wrote:Anyone still want to tell me that it wasn't a big deal?

Yea, me. It wasn't a big deal then and it isn't a big deal now.

Besides, I'm not that into honoring individual achievements as some of you are, and I certainly don't like elevating players to some sort of God like status, even someone who was as great a player and as good of a guy as Steve Largent was/is. I want them and their contributions to be remembered as part of the history of our franchise, and retiring their number and/or placing them in the Ring of Honor seems like a good way to do it as I rather enjoy taking kids/grandkids to a game and pointing out the names and telling them about who they were. But I don't consider it some sort of sacrilegious act to un-retire a number for a couple of games.

I disagree Dog, it was a big deal then as evidenced by all the controversy it stirred up among fans and it's a big deal now in the information coming forward that it was Witless that manufactured the whole thing. I didn't like the man before (mostly for his lying and scheming to T-tag Hutch while Holmes was on vacation) and I really can't stand him now.

Good information Monkey, thanks.

You know it's funny Bob, Monkey sees offering Largent's number as a an indication of a franchise inferiority complex. I actually see the reaction of people thinking it was sacrilege as an indication of a fanbase having an inferiority complex.

There is someone in the NFL wearing the retired number of a former player right now. His name is Peyton Manning. Denver has had the number 18 retired since the 60's and after they got permission from the former player, Manning was allowed to wear it anyway. And you know what? It's pretty much a non-issue in Denver.

I just don't get the big deal.

Who cares what's happening in Denver? You're replying to me on the few things about this I never even touched on.

c_hawkbob wrote:I disagree Dog, it was a big deal then as evidenced by all the controversy it stirred up among fans and it's a big deal now in the information coming forward that it was Witless that manufactured the whole thing. I didn't like the man before (mostly for his lying and scheming to T-tag Hutch while Holmes was on vacation) and I really can't stand him now.

Good information Monkey, thanks.

I was speaking for myself. It was a big deal to some, but not to me.

The point I'm making Bob is that considering that it has happened elsewhere (Manning is just one current example) it's not exactly the unprecendented event that people are making it out to be.

I tend to agree with RD's pov on jerseygate, but I support those that fall on the other side of the issue. As fans we do not have a lot of ways to hold players up that we highly respect. Pressuring a team to retire a number and holding that number in reverence is perhaps part of the fans bargain. I have a lot of respect for those like monkey, Bob, and the rest that do not want the jersey worn.

That IS a big deal, just as when Rice or Lott or whoever one of our big name guys gave a pregame pep talk to one of our division rivals (I believe it was Seattle). Kinda showed how little respect we had at that time. The culture has definitley shifted in Seattle. I don't necessarily like Sherman, but I love his attitude towards winning. He believed the Hawks were better than the Pats and every other team before myself and the rest of the nation took notice, and that is why they are champs today. As crazy as it sounds, I doubt he'd have allowed Rice to wear #80 if the same issue were to arise today. He'd have been vocal about it and set the tone both in and outside of the locker room. To be a winner at anything you have to devselop a high sense of self worth and an insane belief in yourself. Allowing another team's HOFer to wear your HOFer's number does not demonstrate either. These Hawks are creating their own history now, which has to be exciting for you all.

This story just confirms Twatsett acted like a douche.
With this type of manipulation, no wonder Holmgren didn't get along with him, after hearing that, how could you trust him?
My guess is there were other things - both large and small that he did behind others backs, too that we will never hear about.

kalibane wrote:The point I'm making Bob is that considering that it has happened elsewhere (Manning is just one current example) it's not exactly the unprecendented event that people are making it out to be.

My comment is more directed toward Witless than the actual jerseygate deal. I said at the time I didn't care if Largent didn't care. But the fact that Witless lied to Jerry, Steve and the entire fan base to get it done makes the whole situation deplorable

Well that I think everyone can agree on. Especially since he was completely silent after the backlash. Even if it was backlash that I didn't agree with it was unbelievably sleazy to sit there knowing he engineered the whole thing and let other people pay the price for it in terms of a PR hit.

the way I see it Largent Did say he could wear it , whether or not Rice asked doesn't change that. it is a chitty way it was handled but IMO that makes both Rice and Largent look that much better. the end result is it happened good bad or whatever can't change it now

Futureite wrote:That IS a big deal, just as when Rice or Lott or whoever one of our big name guys gave a pregame pep talk to one of our division rivals (I believe it was Seattle). Kinda showed how little respect we had at that time. The culture has definitley shifted in Seattle. I don't necessarily like Sherman, but I love his attitude towards winning. He believed the Hawks were better than the Pats and every other team before myself and the rest of the nation took notice, and that is why they are champs today. As crazy as it sounds, I doubt he'd have allowed Rice to wear #80 if the same issue were to arise today. He'd have been vocal about it and set the tone both in and outside of the locker room. To be a winner at anything you have to devselop a high sense of self worth and an insane belief in yourself. Allowing another team's HOFer to wear your HOFer's number does not demonstrate either. These Hawks are creating their own history now, which has to be exciting for you all.

The culture has shifted in both cities, not just Seattle. Neither team/city has had a true rival since realignment. Now this is the hottest rivalry in the NFL, bar none.

RiverDog wrote:

Futureite wrote:That IS a big deal, just as when Rice or Lott or whoever one of our big name guys gave a pregame pep talk to one of our division rivals (I believe it was Seattle). Kinda showed how little respect we had at that time. The culture has definitley shifted in Seattle. I don't necessarily like Sherman, but I love his attitude towards winning. He believed the Hawks were better than the Pats and every other team before myself and the rest of the nation took notice, and that is why they are champs today. As crazy as it sounds, I doubt he'd have allowed Rice to wear #80 if the same issue were to arise today. He'd have been vocal about it and set the tone both in and outside of the locker room. To be a winner at anything you have to devselop a high sense of self worth and an insane belief in yourself. Allowing another team's HOFer to wear your HOFer's number does not demonstrate either. These Hawks are creating their own history now, which has to be exciting for you all.

The culture has shifted in both cities, not just Seattle. Neither team/city has had a true rival since realignment. Now this is the hottest rivalry in the NFL, bar none.

I agree. The talent on both sides is ridiculous. It's a great rivalry.

Futureite wrote:I agree. The talent on both sides is ridiculous. It's a great rivalry.

We had a great rivalry with Denver back in the mid 80's, but it was a little one sided as Denver always seemed to win the big games. But this rivalry is a little more natural. Seattle is San Francisco's little sister, smaller in population, more well known, comes from the largest state in the nation. A lot of us Washingtonians despise California's lifestyle. I once saw a bumper sticker that read "Don't California-ize Washington."

For the NFCCG, I invited a friend, an anti Seahawks fan that was rooting for the Niners, to watch the game with us. He had brought some of that cheap ass California wine, of which me and one of my Seahawk buddies admonished him and made him remove it from our sight in lieu of some truly superb Walla Walla wine. Immediately after the "Immaculate Deflection", I made my buddy retrieve his rock gut s*** so we could drink it on the premise "To the victors go the spoils." After having spoiled our taste buds by consuming some truly great wine, it was pretty tough swallowing that beaver piss from California, but we did it, we proved our manhood, just like drinking the blood of a shot deer.

They both got played. It was a big deal and Whittsitt knew it. He got them both.
obi

Didn't all of this come out years ago? Not sure why it matters now, it would be like me starting a thread about Testeverdes helmet being ruled a ball. At this point, what Bob Whitsitt did is irrelevant completely and utterly, and no different at this point than what Behring, Flores or any other tool ddid. It's ANCIENT history in terms of where this team is.

I made my buddy retrieve his rock gut s*** so we could drink it on the premise "To the victors go the spoils." After having spoiled our taste buds by consuming some truly great wine, it was pretty tough swallowing that beaver piss from California, but we did it, we proved our manhood, just like drinking the blood of a shot deer.

Awesome Riv, just Awesome!