Tag Archives: Tod Leiweke

Schedule

Hawks finally forced abroad; will NFL schedule properly?

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Hawks in London 2The Seahawks put it off for as long as possible, but their time finally came: They have to play in London in 2018. At least it won’t come at the expense of a home game.

Way back in 2005, Tod Leiweke, then Seattle’s CEO, said the Seahawks were not interested in playing abroad during the season — especially if it cost them a home game.

Before the 49ers and Cardinals played the first regular-season game outside the U.S., in Mexico City in October 2005, Leiweke said, “They didn’t need to ask us because they knew what the answer would be. Our football guys wouldn’t have been crazy about it. I think it’s one of those things where the guys who aren’t playing in it think it’s a great idea.”

That Mexico game kicked off the NFL’s international foray. The league has played in London since 2007, and the Seahawks have staved off the trip for 11 seasons. Hopefully they can avoid it for another 11 after 2018.

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Schedule, Super Bowl XL, Week 12: Pittsburgh

Here’s why Big Ben has never played in Seattle

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Big Ben SteelersA lot is being made of the fact that Seattle is the only place Ben Roethlisberger has not played in his 12-year career, but the fact is he and the Steelers were supposed to come in 2011. And then the NFL changed the scheduling rules.

Starting in 2010, teams from the East no longer had to make two trips to the West in a season. The Steelers were slated to go to San Francisco and Seattle in 2011, but the NFL swapped Seattle out for Arizona, and the Seahawks ended up going to Pittsburgh.

The Seahawks have played in Pittsburgh twice since the infamous Super Bowl XL, getting shut out both times — Mike Holmgren’s Super Bowl remnants lost 21-0 in Mike Tomlin’s first year leading the Steelers in 2007, and Pete Carroll’s rebuilding club lost 24-0 in 2011.

This meeting comes on the 10-year anniversary of the Super Bowl XL season, and the Steelers had a reunion of that team a few weeks ago. Four players — Roethlisberger, tight end Heath Miller, linebacker James Harrison and long snapper Greg Warren — remain on the Steelers from that Super Bowl team.

Roethlisberger joked to Seattle media, “That’s how you know you’re old — when they’re doing reunions and you’re still playing.”

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CHAWK LINES
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CHAWK LINES -- Week in review

The latest in Russell Wilson talks: The Hawks reportedly have offered a deal worth $21 million per year but paying less than $20 million in 2015.

Field Gulls said the Hawks offered $54 million guaranteed last month. Former Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren, who once was John Schneider’s boss, apparently has heard the Hawks’ offer, too, and thinks it is “very fair” and Wilson should take it. Easy for him to say, of course.

The gossip queens went wild over Mike Sando’s QB survey, which placed Wilson eighth or something. We couldn’t care less. (And no, it has no impact on his contract situation.)

Meanwhile, Wilson is working on his boxing in San Diego ahead of training camp starting Friday.

Word also came that the Seahawks are closing in on a deal with Bobby Wagner.

Ricardo Lockette wrote that he refuses to watch a replay of the ill-fated pass at the end of the Super Bowl. But he said Wilson told him, “We’re going to get back there; and, if we’re in that same position again, I’m going to throw you the ball again. We’re going to get it done. I trust you.”

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