Catching up with the Sporting World

It’s been a busy week and a half, and much of it has been spent shoveling snow from the drive and trying to keep the supplies stocked as we have been hit by a constant barrage of snow storms in the Seattle area. So over the next few evenings, we’ll get caught up on a few highlights and get the ball rolling again. With the heart of the festive football fixtures upon us and the NFL regular season heading for a furious finale, I’ll break the reviews into a few articles and try to keep it all organized.

First up is some unfinished business from the previous week as the inclement weather put a hold on the weekly keys to the Blue Tractor award. With Ipswich having a mostly forgettable few days last week’s award went to Seattle Seahawks backup quarterback Seneca Wallace. In a rare victory for the 2008 ‘Hawks, Wallace played with poise and confidence as he guided Seattle to just their 3rd victory of the season over the St.Louis Rams. The division rival Rams have been through some very lean times in recent history and the bi-seasonal match-ups between these squads have certainly lost the vigor that they once provided.

In a way it was sad to see the Edward Jones Dome barely half-full as the ‘Hawks showed up with both teams playing for nothing but pride, battling to avoid last place in an NFC West Division that has been owned by Seattle for four straight years and by their St Louis adversaries for four years prior. The game, as expected, was certainly not a classic but it required a spirited comeback for the Seahawks to come away with some respect in a 23-20 victory.

Wallace started again, deputizing for Matt Hasselbeck whose recurring back injury looks to have him on the sidelines for the rest of the season. Seneca’s performances have improved steadily as he has assumed the starting role and despite an early 7-17 deficit, Wallace remained calm and played mistake free football which culminated in a superb game winning drive late in the fourth quarter that included an amazing 45 yard strike to Deion Branch that setup an Olindo Mare chip-shot field goal with 2 seconds left on the clock.

The grade for the week ending around December 14th: C-

A dismal home performance by the Town at the hands of in-form Cardiff City was somewhat reprieved by a great fightback by the Seahawks on the road, albeit against a very poor St Louis Rams squad.

Tractor Driver of the Week: Seneca Wallace

Six years in the Seattle system under Mike Holmgren is paying dividends and although for reasons he cannot control, Seneca is one of the few surprising bright spots in a mostly miserable season for the 12th Man.