From the Publisher
"I was mesmerized as I read stories I had long forgotten.... I found myself laughing and crying as [Chris Cluff] told many stories that I actually had a part in."
--from the foreword by Steve Largent
"You look at the first-round draft picks we used on quarterbacks during that stretch there, and it's a shame. Dave Krieg played seven more years, and he left because Ken Behring didn't like that Dave held the NFL record for fumbles."
--Joe Nash on the three first-round draft picks the Seahawks squandered on sub-par quarterbacks
"Toward the end of the season I was drained, mentally and physically, because of what I'd been through and what I was getting ready to go through."
--Brian Blades on playing football right before standing trial for manslaughter in the shooting death of his cousin
From the Inside Flap
A young team, particularly by NFL standards, the Seattle Seahawks have already made a significant mark on both the Pacific Northwest and the NFL. Their stadium, Quest Field, is often called "the loudest stadium in the NFL," a reputation fueled by the enthusiastic and unconditional love of their many fans.
Though only a few decades old, the Seahawks franchise already bears the trappings of a deep and multi-faceted history. In The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Seattle Seahawks, Chris Cluff dissects this history in minute detail, holding nothing back. The team's unprecedented Super Bowl run during the 2005 season provides a luminous counterbalance to the ugliness of Brian Blades's manslaughter trial 10 years earlier. The glory of the stupendous 1998 Hawks defense is perhaps overshadowed by one unconscionable call that same season, a call that forever changed the way football games are officiated.
In a region that values hard work and modesty over complacency and gaudy showmanship, Seahawks fans still praise Steve Largent as one of the classiest and most mild-mannered men ever to catch the pigskin. Largent, called the "Blue Angel," dominated with intelligence and split-second decision making. He retired with six major NFL receiving records and gave Seahawks fans a hero to be proud of for many years.
Conversely, the arrival of Brian "the Boz" Bosworth is remembered as a particularly startling moment in the team's history. Brash, bigmouthed, and far more concerned with marketing himself than assisting his team, Bosworth never really meshed with the rest of the Seahawks. He only played three years of his 10-year contract, and his presence is generally remembered as a blight on the Seahawks' roster.
These types of contrasts are all here. Relive the most glorious victories and the most brutal defeats, the most famous and infamous moments in the team's history, the slew of outstanding players and those whose abilities did not live up to their boasts.
So settle in, Seahawks fans, and savor the Hawks' history--good, bad, and ugly--that fills these pages.
